


Hunt's End

by Blizzardsoflizzards



Series: Hunt's End [1]
Category: Bloodborne (Video Game), Stardew Valley (Video Game)
Genre: F/F, Fluff and Humor, Minor Violence, Multi, Polyamory, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-08
Updated: 2018-03-19
Packaged: 2019-02-12 02:54:07
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 20
Words: 76,490
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12949752
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Blizzardsoflizzards/pseuds/Blizzardsoflizzards
Summary: After wandering in the Labyrinth for who knows how long, a young Hunter emerges into a pristine valley populated by friendly townsfolk that all seem to have mysteriously been informed of her arrival. Despite her misgivings, she decides to settle there for want of human contact and begins to befriend the locals. Intrigue, romance, and occasional fights with horrible beasts to come.





	1. Up From the Underground

**Author's Note:**

> Hey all! So, this is a weird one. It's Stardew with a Bloodborne spin and a few things thrown in from my own convoluted novel canon. (I'm sorry.) And if that puts you off the story, then that's fair. But this project has been a lot of fun to work on, so I've decided to see where it goes! Comments and constructive criticism are always welcome!
> 
> (Also, apologies for the wonky formatting, I'll fix it at some point.)

Part 1: Up From the Underground

When she first emerged, blinking, into the sunlight, she wasn’t sure just where the hell she was. Not that she was picky, mind you. Anywhere was better than the ghost city she’d left behind. Wherever it was, it sure was pretty.

  
The grass was a vibrant shade of green, and the sky was so blue it positively hurt to look at. She was in the middle of a forest, surrounded on all sides by tall grass and trees loosely packed together, alive with the singing of birds.

  
Birds. Real birds, not those hideous carrion crows she’d gotten so accustomed to. Birds that sang and soared, their brilliant plumage a variety of hues. It was spellbinding, and Julianna just stood there for a moment, taking it all in.

  
She was crying, she was sure of it. Tears meandered their way down her cheeks and fell to the ground but she didn’t care. It was okay. It was all finally going to be okay. She sank to the ground and felt the grass between her coarse fingertips. How long had it been? Julianna didn’t even want to think about it. She just wanted to think about the birds.  
At last, she managed to compose herself, drying her eyes and standing up, albeit in a slightly shaky fashion. She walked towards a break in the trees that she could just barely make out in the distance. Soon she had left the cave far behind and found herself on a clifftop overlooking a magnificent valley, adorned in the pinks and greens of spring. The sun played over a vast expanse of rolling green hills and she could see a sparkling ocean in the distance. What was more, she could see a town nestled in the valley, stretching from the hills to the white sand of the beach. A river ran from the mountains out to the southern sea. It looked like a paradise.

  
She must have spent an hour winding her way through the woods before at last, she emerged from the treeline near a winding riverbank. There she saw a modest cabin with an old man sat out front, smoking a pipe and rocking in a rocking chair she could hear from a hundred paces. In front of him, a fishing rod lay propped up and trailing a line into the gently moving water of the river. She crouched behind a tree, torn on what to do. Should she go over and ask for directions to town? Sneak by? Flee before he spotted her?

  
Before she could decide, a decision was made for her.  
“I can see you, you know!”

  
Shit.

  
The jig was up now. Julie sighed and emerged from the trees, holding her hands up in what she hoped looked like a gesture of peace.

  
“Oh, relax, I’m not gonna hurt ya! Come on over here, you’re starting to creep me out.”

  
The old man laughed a cackling, wheezy laugh that sent him into a small coughing fit. He blustered and shook out his pipe before standing up and turning toward her. How had he seen her from where he was sitting?

  
She approached and tried to look casual, like anyone who’d just wandered out of the woods would.

  
“Uh, sorry! I’m a little lost.”

  
“Well, I can see that, missy! Where ya tryin’ to get to?”

  
“Um, town! I think. There is a town down the river, yes?”

  
“Hm? Oh, that’ll be Pelican Town. Peaceful little place. I hope you’re not looking to cause trouble with that blade there, eh?”

  
She realized with embarrassment that her sword was still strapped to her hip.

  
“No, it’s just for… Um… Protection.”

  
He looked at her a long moment before shrugging and turning back towards his fishing rod.

  
“Fair enough. Don’t bother me none.”

  
“And who are you?”

“They call me Old Pete ‘round these parts. Least they did once. This here cabin of mine ain't seen use in a while. I been away, see.”

She took a look at the building and noticed for the first time that is was in a slight state of disrepair. The windows were cracked and the roof sagged. The place was by no means dilapidated, but it could certainly use a fresh coat of paint.

“Shame. It seems like a real nice little spot.”

“Oh, indeed. Best river fishin’ in the valley, right on my doorstep.”

Julianna glanced at the fish basket next to his chair and noticed that it was empty.

“You want it?”

She directed her attention back to him, confused by his question.

“Pardon?”

“I said, do you want it? The cabin. Hell, the whole plot of land. I’ve been feeling like it’s high time i move on out of here for good, and I’d like to see the old place give someone a roof. Especially someone who looks to be in such dire need of one.”

She remembered how ragged and torn her clothes looked.

“I suppose that’s fair, but you expect me to believe you’re just going to give me a plot of land?”

“Yep. Why not? I’ve done worse with more, lemme tell ya. I think I got the deed around here somewhere…”

He reached into his fish basket and retrieved a slip of paper. He handed it to her without looking her way, still occupied with his fishing gear (which so far hadn’t received a single bite).

She took it and looked at it.

‘The undersigned is the rightful and undisputed owner of this here old shack.’

Underneath was a blank signature space. It even said ‘deed’ in cartoonishly big letters across the top.

“You can’t be-”

She looked up, and the old man was gone, pipe and all. The only thing that remained was the fishing rod, which stood propped up proudly on a couple of wooden crates. Now, for the first time, she saw it move as a fish snatched at the hook.

Julianna looked around and saw nowhere that a man his age would have been able to leg it towards in that short a time span, but he had vanished all the same.

Deciding to leave that mystery for later, she tried the door of the cabin and it swung open. The inside was surprisingly tidy, with a small rangetop stove in one corner, a firepit in the other, and a twin bed pressed into the back wall. The pace wasn’t dusty. It even smelled as though coffee was being brewed.  
Under any other circumstances, Julianna would have considered this the trap to end all traps, but after wandering through the underground maze for goddess knew how long, she was so ready to sleep that her survival instinct was thrown out the window, driven down the street, and locked in a cupboard for good measure.

“Cool. I guess I own a shack now.”


	2. The Village Green Preservation Society

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Julianna introduces herself to some strangely friendly locals.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sooo this is where we get into the actual Stardew part of the fic. I promise it'll make sense. Mostly.
> 
> I will point out that I have modded my copy of Stardew to very near the breaking point, and as such, aspects of this fic are going to be a bit... shall we say liberal with the lore. I try to stay within the rules of the universe, but there is a pretty big occult influence in Stardew, so make of that what ye will.
> 
> (Also I'm copying these from Google Docs, still trying to fix the formatting. You fine folk enjoy, regardless.)

Admittedly, when nothing horrible happened during her first night in the old shack, she was ever so slightly let down. After making her peace with the fact that she’d more than likely just inherited a cabin from a ghost, she immediately flopped onto the bed and fell asleep for what must have been a full day, thoroughly expecting to wake up in a far worse predicament than when she’d gone to sleep. But when she awoke, the sun was shining brightly and there was not a single sign of haunting or evil doings to be found. It was a nice change of pace.

  
After reheating the black coffee left in the pot for breakfast, she made her way down the river, towards town. There was a surprisingly well-maintained path leading all the way to the local bus stop, where a bus was waiting with its door open for no apparent reason. She didn’t see a driver anywhere, and a sign taped to the fare station read ‘Out of Order’ so she supposed that was that.

  
Following the road further led her to the edge of Pelican Town. It was a quaint little hamlet, with a small central town square flanked by the general store, a doctor’s office, and about three residential homes. From where she was down the road, she could see people milling around in front of the shop, talking and laughing.

The first thing she noticed was their hair. A woman held the hand of a little boy with a shock of pink emerging from his scalp. Another woman with green hair was chatting with a younger, paler person whose hair was a deep shade of purple. And then, to complete the surreal scene, a man with brown-blonde hair poked his head out of the general store and called out to Green and Purple to come inside. She supposed this realm had looser ideas on what classified as ‘naturally occurring’. It suited her just fine, as she still bore the stark silver results of attempting to change her hair color via witchcraft. (A story for another time.)

People. Real, living people. More than anything; More than the birds, the hills, even the sun itself, people were the thing she had longed to see again most.  
The residents of Yharnam were a frightful sort, almost entirely (and in some cases many times over) overtaken by the Plague of the Beast. Monster hunting was a foul business, but fighting her way through half the population of a burg was something she didn’t know she was capable of doing. And now she was here, after all the hardship, among people that seemed… Normal. Normal-ish, anyway. She had started walking towards them, unsure what she would even say when she reached them.

‘Hello?’

‘I’m lost?’

‘Help?’

All these and more swirled in her mind, memories of the hideous beasts of the Labyrinth trying to claw their way to the forefront of her mind. She felt her chest constrict as one of the older women took notice of her and waved. The other looked a bit rattled, possibly by the state of Julianna’s attire. She was still dressed in her Hunter garb, save the bloodstained mask and hat that she’d left behind at the cabin. A treated leather duster strapped with weapon holsters and reinforced studs, torn by the claws and nails of beast and man alike. Trousers so muddy and coated with monster blood they had been rendered almost black from their original grey. Boots so ragged that her left pinkie toe stuck out freely into the breeze when she walked. She must have looked a sight.  
When she finally drew close enough that one of the women smiled and extended a greeting, all she said was.

“Hi. I’m Julie. I’m, uh… New in town.”

“Julie, was it?” The brunette woman said. “Pleased to meet you! You’re not exactly what we expected.”

She was immediately on edge. Why had she left her sword at the cabin?

“Pardon?”

“Oh, goodness me, that came out wrong.”

She giggled and placed a hand over her mouth. Her son was occupied with staring at the toe poking out of Julie’s boot and suppressing a giggle. She gave it a wiggle for good measure and the boy smiled at her. She felt a bit better.

“I just mean… Well, we heard someone had bought out Old Pete’s place, but we’d all assumed that you’d be another old fisherman.”

“Ah! Well, I’m not much of a fisherman, but I am a hunter. Of sorts.”

“Ooh, are you a monster hunter?!” The pale girl with the purple hair had burst into the conversation, excitedly looking over Julie’s outfit and almost certainly noticing the bloodstains.

That threw Julie off. Somewhere as peaceful as Pelican Town had monster problems? With a grim sense of purpose, Julie thought she just may fit in here after all.

“Yes, actually. At least, I was. I’ve been traveling for… I don’t actually know how long now. Just looking for a spot to settle, I guess.”

“Well, you couldn’t have picked a better place!” Green exclaimed, completely nonplussed by Julie’s profession. “Pelican town is a wonderful place, and our community is very tight-knit! I’m sure you’ll get to know everyone soon enough, but for now,” She extended her hand and smiled. “I’m Caroline. It’s a pleasure to meet you!”

Julie shook her hand, then the hand of the purple-haired girl.

“Abigail. You’ll have to show me the ropes sometime!”

“She most certainly will not!” Caroline said. “Not as long as you’re living with us, anyway. Monster hunting is-”

“Jodi!” The brunette mother exclaimed. “And this is Vincent. Say hello, Vincent!”

The boy looked her up and down before remarking:

“You have a hole in your shoe.”

Julie laughed, easier than she had in months.

“Yes, I know. I left them out one night at camp and a giant mole chewed a hole through them!”

The boy’s eyes widened with wonder and Julie smiled. She was only half-kidding.

“Well, we should let you get back to your business. If you need supplies or home goods, feel free to stop by the general store! My husband and I run it, and we’d be happy to give you a good price!”

“Well thank you kindly. I think I’ll take you up on that after I’ve walked around a bit more.”

“Of course. Well, I’m sure we’ll be seeing you around. It was nice meeting you, dear!”

With that, they went their separate ways, leaving Julie standing by herself in front of a large community calendar, whereupon were written the birthdays of several of the townsfolk.

She walked aimlessly for a while, saying hello to an elderly couple who introduced themselves as Evelyn and George, as well as the mustachioed owner of the local saloon, a portly man named Gus. Then she found a bench and just sat there a while, watching the trees bend in the breeze.

“Um… Hey!” You wouldn’t happen to be the new fisherman, would you?”

The voice came from behind her, and she turned to find a bronze-skinned young woman with red-chestnut hair and burgundy round-rimmed glasses. She was dressed in a purple top and overalls, a look that Julie appreciated. She felt a slight pang in her chest. She missed Lily.

“As a matter of fact, I am!” Julie responded, plastering on a smile. “And who might you be?”

The girl rounded the side of bench, plopped down next to Julie and extended her hand.

“I’m Maru! I’ve been looking forward to meeting you!”

Julie was still a bit taken aback by the townsfolk and their rapid acceptance of their new resident hunter/fisher, but it was so nice to be conversing with humans again that she didn’t give a single singed beast hide if they had seemingly poor judgement.

“Well it’s a pleasure to meet you! Pelican town seems lovely. What do you do, if you don’t mind me asking?”

“Oh, I’m studying to be a scientist, like my father. I build gadgets and electronics in my spare time.”

“Dude, that’s cool as shit.”

“Thank you! I love taking things apart and learning how they work so I can rebuild them.”

“I almost know the feeling.”

“How do you like fishing?”

“Um...Can I be perfectly honest with you?”

“Sure! I’m good at keeping secrets.”

“I do not know how to fish.”

“Wait, seriously?”

“I don’t know shit, man. Not a fuck.”

“Wow… So Old Pete’s place was just, what, convenience?”

“You could say it was available real estate and that was enough for me. I’ve been travelling a long time.”

Maru looked Julie’s outfit up and down.

“Travelling dictionary salesperson?”

Julie snorted a laugh.

“Close! Monster hunter.”

“Seriously?!”

“Oh yeah. I had to leave my sword and gear back home, but-”

“That is wicked cool! Have you met Abigail yet, she is gonna flip!”

“I have, actually!” Julie felt surprisingly at ease.

“Well hot damn. I think Marlon might be glad to hear that.”

“Who?”

“Oh, Marlon. He runs the Adventurer’s Guild out near the mines. It’s not too far from my house, actually! My mom is the town carpenter, so if you ever drop by to get some woodworking done, I can show you where their hall is! It’s just Marlon and old Gil up there right now, but I’m sure they’d be glad to see a new face who can use a sword.”

A guild? The idea sounded intriguing. Maybe she would fit in here better than she thought.

“That sounds really nice. Thank you.”

“No problem.”

Maru checked the strange-looking watch she wore around her wrist. Julie saw a small text display pop up.

“Oh, it’s almost 4! I need to meet Penny soon.”

She stood up and dusted off her overalls.

“It was nice meeting you, Julie! Come by sometime, we’re not too far from your plot! Just head up the northeast road and you’ll find it. We’re the only ones that live that far up in the hills. Well, except Linus, but he usually keeps to himself.”

The watch beeped.

“Crap, I’m late. See you around!”

With that, she was off, jogging down the road and pressing buttons on her watch.

Julie sat there for a long time, waving hello to Evelyn and George as they passed. She hummed a tune to herself.

It was a fine day.


	3. Dear Hearts and Gentle People

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Julie is introduced to Maru's friends and family as she tries to cope with the long-term effects of her time lost in the maze.

Part 3: Dear Hearts and Gentle People

Julie’s first week in Pelican town was the least eventful one she’d had in a long time. She spent her mornings on her porch, watching the lazy river roll by , sometimes for hours at a time. It still didn’t seem real, but Julie was starting to acclimate to her new surroundings.

  
She still didn’t know how to fish very well, try as she might with the old bamboo rod that Ghostly Pete had left her. She’d managed to ensnare a small carp once, but promptly realized that for all her survival skills, she had no clue how to clean and dress a fish and promptly let it go. She made a mental note to drop by the general store for rice and coffee.

  
Afternoons were spent meandering through town until Julie thought she had the place pretty well mapped out. She ran into Maru occasionally, usually stopping when she did to engage her in conversation. She was very friendly, and they bonded relatively quickly over their both not knowing too many of the townsfolk. Maru had lived in the Stardew Valley for years, but she still seemingly only had one other friend to speak of: the oft-mentioned Penny. Julie still hadn’t met Penny, but Maru was insistent that the two of them would get along great.

  
“You should come by the house this weekend if you’re not busy!” Maru exclaimed to her one day. “Penny’s coming over to watch a couple movies, and we could always use the company!”

  
Julie’s mind began to wander. Movie nights were something that felt very far away indeed. The idea made her squirm a bit internally. It sounded fun, and she was really enjoying Maru’s company during their brief chats whenever they passed one another. But having friends again? Real friends, as opposed to deranged armed fanatics driven irrevocably mad by exposure to the Eldritch truth? It was nice. She was almost 100% positive that Maru had no designs on sticking her full of holes, and she admitted that the idea of meeting another young woman to talk to sounded lovely. She just wasn’t sure that she had the wherewithal to not freak out strangers in conversation anymore. It was hard to talk about what she did without dredging up dozens of memories each more horrible than the last. The cleric beasts, the flaming watchdogs of the Old Lords, the writhing tentacled form of abandoned Ebrietas herself; it all swirled around her mind when she tried to regale townsfolk with tales of her daring exploits (as they often asked her to do). She had almost drawn her blade on Mayor Lewis when he came by the farm one night to collect her sellable products (Those being none) and had to apologize profusely while prying her sword out of the trunk of a nearby pine tree.

  
‘‘So, what do you think?” Maru asked, piercing through the fog of Julie’s thoughts.

  
“Uh, yeah!” Julie said, perking up and trying to look as though she’d been paying attention. “Sounds like fun to me!”

  
“Great!” Maru exclaimed, doing a rather amusing little dance hop. “Friday night it is, then! We’ll see you around seven?”

  
Shit. Plans.

 

“Absolutely!”

  
Why did she do this to herself?

  
She and Maru talked a bit longer about the energy output of potatoes and their conceivable use in powering homemade devices which were in turn also formed from potatoes.  
As the sun began to set behind the ridge of the mountains, the Valley was bathed in warm orange light. Julie had been here a week and she still didn’t think she would ever get used to that sunset. Maru, on the other hand, seemed to primarily use the sun as a method of telling time, often not even checking the strange watch on her wrist when she asked Julie if she knew what time it was. She would then lean back and stare at the skyline, observing the movement of the clouds and sun before declaring out loud roughly what time it was. It worked for Julie, as she didn’t possess a watch and never had an answer prepared.

  
This particular evening, she and Maru were stood on the bridge connecting George and Evelyn’s place to the blacksmith shop, watching the blurry forms of fish wriggle and glide their way through the babbling ripples of water and sipping from cold cans of Stardew Cola. Julie had almost suggested heading to the saloon for a drink when she considered that Maru might not be old enough to drink. Hell, she wasn’t entirely sure she was old enough to drink in this realm. Even if the legal age for alcohol consumption remained surprisingly rigid across time and space, she had no form of identification whatsoever and thus had no way of proving that she was, in fact, twenty-three. So instead of liquid libation, they watched the fish. That was when Maru had pitched the movie night idea, and Julie now found herself unsure how to proceed. She didn’t want to seem unexcited for her plans with her new friend, but a hard knot of anxiety ate at her inner gut all the same. She would have to proceed carefully.  
Still, it was a beautiful evening, and Julie was prepared to step a bit out of her sword-toting comfort zone and try socializing. At least, she was until Penny showed up unexpectedly.  
“Oh, hey! Penny! Over here, hon!”

  
A young woman with a parted mane of red hair stopped on the other side of the bridge, waving at Maru with one hand and clutching a stack of books with the other. She was with two children; Vincent, the pink-haired lad from Julie’s first day in town, and another young one that Maru informed her was ‘Jas’. Penny herself was dressed in a yellow blouse and a burnt orange skirt, standing out brightly against the green backdrop of the hills and the grey stone of the bridge. She looked like a splash of paint spilled on a canvas and left there for effect, and Julie felt something in the vicinity of her stomach pull off a tasteful double lariat.

 Maru and wrapped the redheaded girl in a hug.

  
"Good to see you, as always.”

  
She turned to Julie and smiled.

  
“And you must be Julie!”

  
Julie broke into a grin in spite of herself. Penny already knew her name.

  
“Guilty as charged. It’s a pleasure to meet you!” She extended a nervous hand and shook Penny’s, feeling the soft skin of her fingertips brush against her own calloused palms.  
“Likewise! It’s lovely to meet someone else our age in town. Do you read much, by any chance? I’ve been dying to get some new book recommendations!”

  
Julie answered before she could think about it.

  
“Oh, I used to! I love fantasy especially, but I read some mystery and sci-fi as well. Of course, there weren’t really many books in the…”

  
She trailed off uncomfortably, leaving Maru and Penny staring at her in anticipation.

  
“In the place I got stuck for a while. Not a lot of reading material. And most of what was there was…”

  
Horrifying? Dark and unknowable? Literally beyond the scope of mortal comprehension?

  
“Dusty.”

 

When she did not elaborate and turned an uncomfortable shade of pale, Maru mercifully plowed the conversation forward.

  
“I always preferred sci-fi myself! Hey, speaking of which, what do we want to watch on Friday night?”

  
The plans reared their trepidatious head once again. Maru looked back and forth between Julie and Penny, waiting for an answer. Penny appeared to be politely waiting for Julie. Julie had literally zero knowledge of what constituted popular cinema in this dimension, and she wouldn’t even be sure where to start guessing. She decided that vagueness was her ally.

  
“Oh, I’m not picky. I don’t really watch a lot of movies, I uh… Never really had the time, i suppose.”

  
“Oh, I watch way too much TV.” Penny said with a sigh. “I blame my mom, since she’s got it on 24/7 in the tra- In the house, I mean.”

  
She had turned a bit pink.

  
“I don’t think there’s anything wrong with that, necessarily.” Julie said, trying to steer the conversation in a direction she could at least pretend to be knowledgeable about.

  
“But it’s all trash TV, though! I swear, I’ve seen the same guy from Zuzu City get busted for shard dealing at least a dozen times! In different places! It’s either that or food shows about the most inedible things you could possibly imagine. It’s all so hyper-processed that you’d be better off just drinking liquid cheese!”

  
She made a face of disgust. Julie understood the sentiment, thinking back to her days of convenience-store burritos and stiff beef jerky.

  
“Oh, that’s the worst.” Julie chimed in. “I used to have to eat these little microwaved empanadas that had this textureless mystery meat in them. The filling didn’t taste like anything in particular, but it somehow managed to be spicy as all get-out!”

  
She shuddered a bit and let out a soft:

  
“Buh.”

  
“As for the movie, though!” Maru interjected. “What genres do you usually prefer, Julie?”

  
“Erm, I Iike horror.”

  
The irony of her statement threatened to send her eyes rolling up into the next dimension in an almost literal fashion, but she managed to avoid visibly wincing at her own suggestion. Maru made an expression that seemed to say ‘fair enough’, but Penny blanched just a bit.

  
“I’m uh, not really good with horror stories. It’s not that I think they’re bad or anything!” She added hastily, giving Julie a nervous smile. “I just usually can’t sleep after getting into a scary story.”  
“Well, we could always do science fiction! Or science fantasy, whichever strikes your fancy!”

 

Penny’s face lit up a bit at the mention of science-fantasy.

  
“Oh, I love stories like that.i think I have the perfect one, actually! I just need to find it among the mess at home…”

  
She looked sad for a moment, and it left a small twinge in Julie’s chest. Thankfully, Maru chose then to cut in with the assertion that she already knew which movie Penny had in mind, and was, quote: ‘Pumped as a hot damn.’

  
They chatted a bit while the children chased each other from one end of the bridge to the other, about not much in particular. Julie successfully ducked answering questions about her own book/film tastes by asking Maru and Penny about theirs.

  
Maru was borrowing the first of a series entitled ‘The Solarian Chronicles’ from Penny and Penny herself was in the middle of a book known as the ‘Astro-Hitcher’s Compendium to Traveling Great Distances in Space’, which almost made Julie spit out her drink. When they finally cornered Julie and made her list a book she liked, she played it off as best she could.

  
“The Starlight Compendium, by Katarina Serpico.” she said with a smile to herself.

  
“I’ve never heard of the author, but it sounds fascinating!” Penny said excitedly.

  
“Oh, I’m sure she’s not known around here, she’s from a distant shore indeed. But she was a hell of a chronicler.”

  
She closed her eyes for just a moment and offered a silent prayer to the goddess that Kat was safe back home.

  
“Well I’d love to read it, if you ever find a copy.” Said Penny.

  
Julie looked at her a moment, distracted by the reflection of the dying sunlight in her hair and eyes. She had lovely green eyes, and Julie was finding it difficult to look anywhere else, if she was honest.

  
“If I find one, you’ll be the first to know.”

  
They shared a look. Penny smiled. Julie smiled.

  
“Miss Penny!!”

  
The shrill cry of a little girl cut through the moment like a knife made of glass.

  
Slightly startled, Julie felt her hand go to her hip, reaching for her sword. It was back at home, of course, but that did not stop her from blindly groping for it for a few seconds and feeling an even larger swell of panic when she did not find it. She scanned the trees at the edge of town for threats. What was wrong?

  
“Vincent picked up a frog and it peed on me!”

  
Oh. Well, didn’t she feel foolish?

  
Penny and Maru couldn’t suppress brief snorts of amusement and Julie laughed with them, if only in an attempt to play off her momentary lapse in threat level perception.

  
“Well, that’s probably my cue to get them somewhere where they’ll be supervised. But it was nice meeting you!” Penny extended a hand and Julie shook it again, grateful that no-one had noticed her mild panic burst.

  
“It was nice meeting you too! See you on Friday?”

 

“Sounds like a plan.”

  
With that, she wrapped Maru in a hug and bid them goodbye, hurrying off with Vincent and Jas toward their parents’ houses. Julie waited for her to get out of earshot before turning back to Maru.

  
“So what, she’s a teacher?” Julie asked, trying to sound casual. “That’s really cool.”

  
“Well, we don’t have an official school out here. The museum has a library, but that’s about it. They don’t even have any items on display at the moment since the previous owner scarpered with most of their artifacts. No, Penny is more of a tutor/caretaker. She teaches the kids as much as she can from the books in the library and uses the rest of the time they’d normally spend in school to teach them about the outdoors and such. She doesn’t really get paid that much since Jodi and Marnie can’t exactly afford official babysitters, but she’s really made a difference to those kids. They love her to bits.”  
The more Julie heard about this girl, the more she found herself looking forward to Friday night.

  
She and Maru stood on the bridge long after the sun went down, not turning to leave until the last of their beverage was gone. Julie offered to walk her home, and she gratefully accepted, seeming a bit less exuberant now that the sun was down. Julie imagined it was difficult for her to see as they wound their way up the northern road to Maru’s mountain home.

  
They arrived at the house a little past seven in the evening, Julie letting out a low whistle at the craftsmanship on the building. The walls and supports were carved from mahogany and hewn from stone, a house befitting of the region’s (apparently only) master carpenter.

  
“Well, this is me.” Maru said, hooking her thumbs into the straps of her overalls (to Julie’s powers of observation, she must have owned a pair for every day of the week) and turning on her heel when they reached the door.

  
“You wanna come inside for a sec? Say hi to the folks? I could show you my lab!”

  
She seemed so excited at the prospect, Julie couldn’t have possibly declined.

  
“Sure. That sounds like fun.”

  
Inside, a woman with a long bundle of ginger hair stood atop a ladder, an assortment of nails held strategically between her teeth. At the base of the ladder was a dark-skinned man with a closely shaved head, holding a clipboard in one hand and the ladder in the other.

  
“I’m home!” Maru declared as they entered the room. “And I brought a guest!”

  
The woman atop the ladder wobbled a bit, but she swiveled herself around to look in Julie and Maru’s direction.

  
“Oh, hi there! I’m Robin! Just a sec.”

  
With a grunt of determination, she swiveled back around and carefully retrieved a nail from her mouth, transferring it deftly to her hand and fitting it into a small divot in the ceiling. Without so much as another word, she began viciously bashing the nail with a hammer, striking with speed and precision that put Julie’s Hunter prowess to shame. Seemingly satisfied after the first two dozen loud thwacks, she nodded in approval and slid her way down the ladder, spitting out the remaining nails back into a box on the floor as she did so.

 

“As I was saying: It’s great to finally meet you! We’ve heard a few things from Maru and the other folks around town, but we’re kind of isolated up here in the mountains.”

  
“I’m Demetrius, by the way,” the man said, shaking her hand and giving her a big ‘dad smile’.

He seemed like a nice enough fellow, but Julie still didn’t know how to feel around parents of people she knew. Most of the people she knew were either dead or farther away than could be believed, which certainly did nothing to help matters. But of those select several few she could consider her friends, most of them had actual families and lives. Try as she might, it wasn’t something she knew how to identify with.

  
“I’m sure you’ve got all sorts of fascinating aquatic specimens on that ranch of yours. Maybe one of these days you’ll be able to help Maru and I with one of our science experiments!”

  
Julie blinked away her own thoughts and shook hands with both Robin and Demetrius, pleased that things seemed to be going well.

  
“I feel as though I’ve been saying nothing but ‘it’s a pleasure to meet you’ for a week straight now, but it’s lovely to make your acquaintance.”

  
The three of them laughed and Julie felt her anxiety ease up a bit. This wasn’t so bad.

  
“Well you’re welcome to stay ‘round for dinner if you’d like. Demetrius has a lasagna in the oven!”

  
Admittedly, it was hard to remember the last time she’d been properly hungry. Food had been scarce in Yharnam, and scavenging from the Labyrinth was a dangerous gamble at the best of times. In that bizarre other realm, a Hunter could be sustained by the thrill of the hunt alone for hours, even days. Once in the valley, however, she felt her human needs returning to her, and she’d had to readjust to craving food and water. Even still, she had been able to get by on minimal nutrition up until now, catching pond carp (perhaps the dumbest fish to ever grace the planet), from a standing pool of water she found near the river and gathering/boiling water from the river itself. It was meager, but it sustained her through her first few weeks Only now, here in a warm and well-lit house, did it really hit her how hungry all that standing around on a bridge had made her.

  
“Yeah, lasagna sounds wonderful. Erm… While we’re waiting, I don’t suppose you have a movie collection I could look at, do you?”


	4. The Other Shoe

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Julie prepares for a night of relaxation, but a storm brews on the horizon.

Part 4: The Other Shoe

Friday came sooner than Julie expected. Even more so as she was still a bit dizzy from trying to figure out how this world’s time was measured. They used the Earth-standard Sunday through Saturday week, but no months. The years here were broken up into four seasons; Spring, Summer, Fall, and Winter. Any attempts Julie made to ask what month it was were met with confused stares. The first time it happened, she’d had to think fast and told them it was the name for ‘season’ in the language of her homeland. They’d all looked very impressed and asked what the four seasons were called in her ‘native tongue’.

  
“Massi, DeVito, Gauido, and Valli.”

  
“You have such a beautiful language.”

  
At any rate, she was now several weeks into Spring, and the weather was reflecting it. Most of the days of this particular week, it had been sunny and bright, and she’d spent them walking around with Maru after her shifts at the clinic and occasionally gathering plants and flowers as research samples. Julie’s evenings were spent at the Stardrop Saloon, getting to know the locals a bit more and networking a bit. She’d even gotten a line on some new clothes from one of the bartenders, a chipper young woman named Emily. She had taken one look at the stained and torn garments that Julie had been wearing her first night in the Saloon (which she had been keeping relatively smell-free by dunking them in the river) and vowed to stitch her something that ‘matched her aura’ as a housewarming present.  
Friday dawned cold as a thunderstorm raged through the region. Julie had spent most of the day indoors, trying to figure out which hole in the roof to set her one solitary bucket under. She had always loved rainy weather, but she loved it a lot more when she had durable lodging. After tidying up, she lay in her bed with the covers pulled up and stared out the window, watching rivulets of rain run down the cracked glass and make tracks through the dust. As the afternoon wore on, she became absorbed in thought.

The rain on the windows and roof took her back. Back to the evergreens of the coast where she’d began. Her old friends, before they became monster hunters themselves, crammed into a large shed talking about nothing in particular. Those days seemed far away now. When she’d woken up in the sickroom of Iosefka’s clinic in Yharnam, she had been afraid of never seeing those people again. Now, the memories all felt distant, like a poorly maintained piece of film being run through a slightly shoddy projector. Now, she was certain those days were over. What was that little town’s name? It didn’t matter now. She had fish to catch and rice to cook, and she was reading a book on gardening that Caroline had lent her. She was making a life for herself out here, albeit a slightly lonely one. Maybe her past would remain in the past. And as much as she missed some of it, she was starting to nurse the sentiment that she might not mind staying here for a while.

At any rate, she wasn’t looking forward to the long trek out to Maru’s. The wooden shutters on the window banged open and shut in the wind, letting sideways sheets of rainwater through the slats. The sky darkened considerably as evening drew in, and it promised to be a tumultuous night. Julie didn’t like it.

Maru had asked Penny and Julie to come by around seven in the evening, and so a few minutes past six, Julie donned her boots, Hunter’s coat, and hat and headed out the door. She always felt the need to lock the door when she left, but she had neither a key nor a lock on the door in the first place, so she usually just tried to make sure it wouldn’t swing open and invite in animals.

The road to town was muddy, and the river had swelled enough from the torrential rain that several of the windier paths leading to the bus stop were partially submerged. Julie found the atmosphere soothing, although the downpour made visibility quite difficult. The roads leading out to her shack/ranch(?) had no streetlights, and Julie made a mental note to set up lanterns or something along the route.

By the time she reached town square, she was properly drenched, water running off of the brim of her hat in little streams. She stopped to tie her boots under the awning of Pierre’s general store when she saw a figure hurrying through the rain. Julie finished tying and straightened. The figure was coming her way at quite a clip, and she felt her instincts start to kick in, telling her to flee or prepare for a confrontation. She shifted her stance and trailed her hand towards her belt. Once again, she'd left her sword at home. She chided herself internally for not thinking to bring it after dark and went for her knife instead. She didn’t know what sort of monsters Pelican Town had to worry about, but she couldn’t shake the feeling that she was about to find out. Things liked to hunt in the cover of the rain.

As the hunched figure drew closer, she made it out to be a person with their hands stuffed into the large front pocket of their hoodie. This eased her mind, but only a little. They were making a beeline for Julie, or so it seemed. She lifted her knife an inch or so out of its sheath, just to make sure it was free. The figure was getting closer, now only a few dozen paces away. It wasn’t stopping or slowing down, and given the dark windows of the general store, Julie became certain that it was coming for her.

She felt her blood start to pump. Was it about to go down? The tips of her fingers brushed her knife hilt. The figure was almost upon her. Twenty paces. Ten.

About five feet away, the figure turned sharply and disappeared around the corner of the store. Julie stood there a moment, perplexed, before peeking around the corner. To her chagrin, she saw that the figure was not only quite small, it was heading up the road towards Maru’s house. She broke into a jog and closed the distance quickly, intentionally splashing her foot into a puddle to get the figure’s attention and making it turn around.

It was Penny, startled and soaked. Julie felt her face heat as she quickly pulled down her scarf, exposing her face.

“Hiya. Lovely weather we're having, eh?”

“Oh, Julie, it’s you!” Penny exclaimed, relief flooding her face. “I’m sorry, I didn’t know that was you in front of Pierre’s or I would have stopped!”

“It’s alright, it’s pretty hard to spot me at a distance without the grey hair visible.”

“Well, shall we keep walking? It’s still about ten minutes to Maru’s, and I don’t want to get the snacks too wet!”

Now that she was closer, Julie could see that Penny was actually wearing two jackets, one overlarge pullover acting as a shield from the rain, and a smaller green collared jacket underneath, the pockets of which were bulging, presumably with the aforementioned snacks.

“Sure! Let’s hurry.”

They walked in silence, the din of the rain making conversation difficult. Julie was glad for the company, and if pressed and bribed, she might confess to slowing down a bit here and there to watch Penny as she walked. She was easy to look at, to say the least, even wearing a jacket three sizes too large for her and drenched from the rain. Every so often one of them would slip and slide in the mud and reach out to each other for support. Penny had to catch her three separate times, and Julie had never before so thoroughly considered cutting her own feet off. Penny didn’t seem to mind, smiling each time Julie lurched forward with a swear and letting her clamp onto her arm and shoulders to steady herself. Julie did it once on purpose.

At last they arrived at Maru’s house, and Robin answered the door with an exclamation at the sorry sight of the two girls.

“Oh dear, come in, come in!” She ushered them inside and took their coats, holding Julie’s up and admiring its sheer weight.

“You two look soaked, go ahead and head on back Maru’s room.She has a heater in there. Demetrius will bring back food once dinner is ready!”

“Thanks, Robin!” Penny said, shaking rain out of her hair and peeling off her other jacket, revealing a t-shirt with a soda brand Julie didn’t recognize. She headed down the hall as Julie untied her boots and left them by the door. Julie watched her go and took a deep breath.

‘Now is your time to relax and have fun.’ She thought to herself. ‘Just try to behave like a normal human.’

She passed a set of stairs leading down into a basement, from which Julie could place the unmistakable smell of marijuana smoke.

“Oh, I’m sorry about that.” Robin said, noticing the look on Julie’s face. “Sebastian usually opens his window when he does that. You’re not asthmatic or anything, are you?”

“No, no, it’s fine, I just wasn’t expecting it. I don’t mind, really.”

“Well, I’ll tell him to cool it while we have guests in the house. Although I’m sure it would improve the movie snacks!”

Julie chuckled and began walking down the hall to Maru’s room, making a mental note to ask her brother where he got his stuff. Penny was waiting for her down the hall. They knocked on the door and Maru answered, dressed in pajamas and sporting a mess of frizzy hair.

“Hey! You finally made it! I’m sorry we had to plan this on such a rainy day.”

“It’s alright, I didn’t mind the walk.” Penny said. “I found some lovely company!”

Julie felt the corners of her mouth twitch.

“Julie, since you’re not well-versed in movies, Penny and I decided that we wanted to start you off on the classics. So we’re starting off with The Solarion Chronicles, Part 1. It’s not a perfect adaptation of the book, but I always thought the Spider Nebula sequences were a little long anyway.”

  
Julie had no context for anything Maru was saying, but she was just glad to be included.

Inside Maru’s room, there was a pile of blankets and pillows forming a massive nest. Maru crossed the room and fiddled with a TV she’d propped up on her desk, while Penny got seated in the nest. She saw Julie and smiled at her, patting the clump of blankets beside her. Julie gulped and returned the smile, plopping down on the floor with a soft wump.

“Would you like a cookie?” Penny asked brightly, retrieving a tupperware container full of them from beside her. “I baked them for the occasion.”

“I would love one.” Julie said earnestly, catching a whiff of the fresh cookie smell.  
Cookies. By the goddess, she had missed cookies. They were a bit smashed together, but they were warm and gooey and Julie savored every bite, finishing her first and grabbing a second.

“Well, I had help for batches two and three. I think I might have messed up the first one. I knocked something into the batter, but it didn't have a label.”  
Julie bit into the cookie and immediately tasted garlic.

“You don’t say?”

She chewed slowly and swallowed, deftly putting the cookie down and taking a can of soda from Maru.

“Tastes fine to me.”

She was still hungry, and she looked at container of cookies with a wary eye. She carefully selected a small one and took a bite, relieved to taste only semi-sweet goodness. She then proceeded to inhale the rest of her cookie, caution thrown to the wind. It didn’t help that she hadn’t eaten much of anything that day. She paused while reaching for a fourth, suddenly becoming aware that Penny was giggling.  
Small wonder, her mouth was covered in chocolate. She wiped it off on the sleeve of her undershirt and opened her mouth to say something and promptly began choking on a few crumbs. After a small coughing fit, she fixed Penny with a watery-eyed smile and gave her a thumbs-up.

“Delicious!”

Maru plopped down on Julie’s other side, noticing her proximity to Penny and giving her a waggling eyebrow. Julie blushed and pretended to be fishing something out of her bag so Penny wouldn’t see.

The movie was quite alright, if a bit long. By Julie’s estimation, it was almost three hours of a space pilot getting lost on the way to a big battle with some pilots and ultimately missing the battle altogether to take up a lucrative career as a synthetic fish salesperson. A tad dry, but the story had some heartfelt moments. Somewhere around the middle of the second act, Julie scooted a bit closer to Penny under the pretense of getting another cookie and then stayed there. She didn’t seem to mind in the slightest. Julie smiled to herself . She felt as though she had been doing an inordinate amount of smiling lately. She didn’t have to wonder why that was. It was strange, stepping back into the social scene after such a long time in isolation. It almost felt like it had back home. Uncertain, perhaps, but warm and welcoming. She felt a pang in her heart for the others, however far away they were now. Without help, she may be stuck in this valley indefinitely. She’d known this sort of thing could happen, and she’d thought she was prepared. Getting stranded in Yharnam, she hadn’t counted on. Tangling with Old Ones, she hadn’t counted on. Emerging somewhere she actually wanted to stay, she definitely hadn’t counted on.

There was a peace to this place she had never known before. It seeped into her bones and filled her lungs with every breath she took of the clean, crisp mountain air. She’d felt weak when she arrived, sapped of her strength and robbed of her Hunter’s abilities. Now, she felt more normal, like she was coming back to herself. She’d been very legitimately concerned she was losing her mind when she became lost in the maze underneath the dead city, and only in recent days did she feel her clarity of thought returning. Maybe she didn’t have to leave here. She had friends, she could potentially have a family again. It wouldn’t be the same, but it wouldn’t need to be. Maybe she didn’t have to sit around waiting for the other shoe to-

“Julie, did you hear that?”

She was yanked from her thoughts just as she found herself preparing to scoot a little to her left.

“Hm?”

“Shh. Listen!”

There was silence for a moment, until a howl split the night.

“There it is again!”

“Is it me, or did that one sound closer?” Penny asked.

HOWL.

“Jumping Yoba, that was loud!” Maru said, scrambling to her feet.

Julie was up in a second. She recognized the cry.

“What the hell was it?” Penny asked, looking at the closed curtains in front of the window as though something on the other side might draw them open at any moment.

“It’s best that you don’t know.” Julie said. She normally wasn’t one for theatrics, but there was a certain amount of panic involved with monster attacks that Julie needed to avoid.

“Lock all the doors and windows, turn off the lights, and wait here.”

“You can’t possibly be planning on going out there?”

But she was. As another shrieking howl rang out from very close by, Julie double- checked her knife. She recognized the howl, a howl that had followed her through the wild outskirts of Yharnam and into the choked forest surrounding the ancient library of Byrgenwerth. It had a certain resonance, an undertone of a human being shrieking in agony. It was a sound that had haunted her nightmares for months.

Wendigo.


	5. Dancing in the Moonlight

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Hunt begins anew.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [TW: BLOOD, GORE, VIOLENCE]
> 
> Hey y'all. Sooo this chapter gets a bit harrowing and/or violent. This is just a friendly heads-up from your resident whirlwind of lizards with keyboards! Those of you who aren't down for the stabby bits and just want some fluff, feel free to skip to the last page with no regrets, and I will have more for you in the next week. I promise it's all in service of fluff.
> 
> (Also I'm taking a small amount of liberty with the Bloodborne/Stardew mythos', I know. Please bear with me, for I am a simple cloud of reptiles.)

Julie flew around the corner into the shopfront and almost plowed straight into Robin.

  

“Robin! Thank the Goddess. I need booze!”

  

Robin looked startled and raised an eyebrow.

“I didn’t realize you girls were having that kind of party. But hey, I’m not judging. I think I have some wine coolers around here somewhere, just don’t tell Demetrius.”

“What? No, I need something stronger! I need to light a fire!”

“Why-”

“There’s a Wendigo outside.”

“Oh shit. Wait, a what?”

 

“Wendigo. Tall, ugly, wicked fast. Think deer-human super cannibals.”

“Oh… Shit.”

Penny and Maru came skidding down the hall after Julie.

“Are you crazy?”

Maru asked.

“You can’t do that!”

Julie took a deep breath and prepared the usual speech.

“Look, I appreciate your concern, but I have to go out there and-”

“I know that, you egg! I mean you can’t light a fire in the rain using alcohol. It would need to be at least 100 proof to make an effective accelerant, and in these conditions-”

“Okay, fair enough. What can I use then?”

Julie didn’t like interrupting people, but time was very much of the essence, and every second the Hunt was ignored was a second that tore at her mind and patience. Her foot began to tap against the floor rhythmically.

“In this weather? You’d need to be really careful, but you could probably use motor oil.”

“Do you have any?”

Julie asked, rapidly looking back and forth between Robin and Maru, becoming increasingly agitated. She hoped it didn’t show. The tapping of her foot became involuntary as she trembled with anticipation.

“We do, but Dad’s not gonna be happy.”

Maru said.

“It’s for our latest robotics project, and he just bought it.”

Maru turned and leaned down the hall.

“Dad! Where’s the motor oil?” She called.

It was a moment before Demitrius called back.

“Why?”

“Julie needs it!”

Another pause.

“Why?!”

Robin leaned down the hall and yelled.

“Demetrius, just bring the oil, it’s important. There’s a Whatsits afoot!”

“But I just bought it!”

“Please?”

Julie heard a noise of annoyed exasperation and the rifling of cabinet drawers.

Robin turned to Julie.

“Why do you need this again?”

“Wendigo are immune to most kinds of damage, but they’re afraid of fire. I’m gonna light the sucker up.”

“You do realize we’re in a forest?”

“I’ll be careful, I have a plan.”

“I’m still not sure about this…”

“Robin.” Julie grabbed Robin gently by one shoulder and looked her in the eyes. “Trust me. I’m a professional.”

Demetrius emerged from the hallway, holding a bottle of oil. Julie seized it from his hands and shook it. Full. Excellent.

“Many thanks.”

Julie threw on her coat and looked back over at Robin.

“Do you happen to have an axe?”

Robin stepped defensively in front of her display case.

“You’re not taking my good axe.”

“Surely you must have a spare?”

Robin looked conflicted for a moment before turning to her husband.

“Demetrius...Grab Choppy.”

“Not Choppy!”

“Choppy.”

“I still don’t understand why!”

He shouted as he dashed off again.

Roughly one eternity later, Demetrius emerged with an old fire axe and handed it to Julie.

“Thank you, both of you. I appreciate it.”

HOWL.

“Gotta go!”

With that, Julie tucked the bottle of oil into the inner pocket of her coat and scanned around the room for a rag. Spotting one hanging in the kitchen, she dashed across the lobby and vaulted over the counter to reach it. She felt like a terrible houseguest.

She didn’t have time to dwell on it, though. In a few seconds, she was out the door and running full pelt into the rain. The howls were close now, and over the wind and rain, she could make out another sound: A man screaming for help.

“Oh sweet Yoba somebody help me!”

Maru had mentioned another person that lived out here. She had never shown Julie where Linus lived, but Julie had seen a tent pitched in various places up the hill during her walks to and from Maru’s. If the beast was attacking him, she only had a few seconds, if she was lucky. She turned and began the rather steep ascent, climbing on all fours in some instances, trying to cover ground as fast as she could. When she at last reached the top of the hill, her trousers soaked in mud, she found a yellow canvas tent pitched next to a long-since put out campfire. She crept to the opening and peered inside.

A man in a long red scarf and a brown winter coat stared back at her, his eyes wide and unblinking. At first, she thought he was dead, and she let out a soft curse. Then his eyes narrowed and he silently raised a finger to his lips. As he did so, she heard the bushes behind her rustling. She started to draw her knife.

“Don’t. Move.”

The man mouthed the words to her, barely visible in the darkness. The rustling stopped. Julie felt her calf muscles tense to iron.

The creature lunged, using its massive arms to propel itself forward at blinding speed. Julie spun around and managed to brace her back foot against relatively solid ground, letting the Wendigo slam into her.

Long ago and far away, with her Hunter blessings, she might have been able to overpower the beast. Now, it was all she could do to hold it at bay, bracing her arms under its broad shoulders and keeping its gnashing teeth mere inches from her throat. She struggled against the creature’s strength, but it slowly drove her to the ground.

For a moment, the clouds broke, and the moonlight shone on the hellish beast. It stood twice as tall as Julie, at least, with long limbs rippling with muscle fibre and scar tissue. It’s face was a horrific mashup of deer and man, with long dark hair trailing from its mangled scalp. Its teeth sat in crooked rows that seemed to quiver individually as it tore at the empty air in front of her. Curiously, it appeared to be wearing spectacles. The whole scene reeked of cheap cologne and deer carcass.

She knew the beast’s kind well. Men who became lost in the mountains and nearly succumbed to starvation; Resorting to eating human flesh to survive. They became plagued and distorted, twisting and transforming slowly into monsters. In the wilderness surrounding Yahar’Gul, many Yharnamites took to cannibalism with surprising vigor. In the Stardew Valley, though? It didn’t make any sense.  
She rallied her strength and grunted, shoving the brute back and lunging forward with her knife. The creature was too fast, however, and it seized her wrist with its overlarge right hand.

With the amount of effort normally reserved for the tossing of ragdolls, the Wendigo wrapped it’s malformed fingers around Julie’s wrist and forearm and tugged, yanking her off her feet and sending her tumbling down the hill. She bounced twice on the way down, each time feeling a white-hot spike of pain sear through her abdomen.

Julie at long painful last reached the bottom of the hill, slamming into the back fence of Robin’s property with a dull thud. The world was upside down, but she could make out the awkward gait of the creature as it turned around and made for the man in the tent again.

“Hey asshole!”

The beast whipped around at the sound of her voice.

“You going to finish the job, or what?”

With another howl, the Wendigo turned and bounded down the hill after Julie. Sometimes she regretted how good she was at being a distraction.

Julie, having recently tumbled most of the way down a hill, took a moment to get up, and had barely gotten to her feet when she saw the hulking form of the Wendigo emerge from the foliage up the hill, its antlers briefly silhouetted by the moonlight. It let loose another blood-curdling howl and she saw it leaping after her. From the house behind her, she heard a scream.

She curled her fingers around her knife and drew it as she rolled to her side, away from the house. She dug her knee into the mud and propped herself up, ready to take the hit again.

This time, as the Wendigo rammed into her, she drove her knife into its palm, stopping the swing of its arm and causing it to yelp in pain. With a flourish of her wrist, Julie yanked out the blade and hacked at the Wendigo’s hand, taking off the better three-fifths of its fingers. She propelled herself up and forward, driving the surprised and wounded beast backward into the mud. She leapt upon it then, stabbing and slashing with wild abandon, trying to do enough damage to stun it.

She slashed its throat, perforated its chest, and even took its other hand for good measure. The work of a Hunter was stomach-churning, and the only thing preventing her from retching was the rush of adrenaline through her veins. However, even after all the damage she’d done, the creature began to stir after only a few seconds.. As she stood there above it, she watched the tissues of its throat slowly beginning to knit together, even sprouting new fur.

  
She took the motor oil from her pocket and opened it, filling her nose with a pungent stench. She doused the twitching Wendigo in the viscous black liquid, coating its head and soaking into its closing wounds. It choked out a curse and fixed her with a paralyzing glare.

  
“You will not overtake me, human. I have seen beyond the underground. I own this mountain.”

“Man, shut the fuck up!”

Julie shouted, kicking the beast in one of its antlers with a hollow CLACK.

“I am so SICK of monster monologuing!”

She extended her hand and began speaking the words she’d learned in the Byrgenwerth library, a horrible series of choking sounds that made her sound like she was trying to clear her throat with an octopus.

The creature flipped itself over and began shambling as fast as it could up the hill, apparently recognizing the spell. It made it most of the way to the top before it erupted into flames.

Julie limped up the hill after the wounded creature, determined to finish it off. As the neared the top of the hill, she spotted the spot where her axe had fallen after she’d been thrown. She rushed to it, crying out every few feet as surges of pain in her abdomen threatened to drive her to her knees. She might have had a cracked rib.

With a shriek, the wounded Wendigo whirled to face her and closed the gap in a remarkable amount of time. It dodged her weak attempt at a swing with the axe and hammered a gnarled fist into Julie’s gut.

Yup. Definitely cracked ribs.

She collapsed to the ground and screamed in anguish. Her vision clouded as long, cold fingers wrapped around her throat. She began to choke as she was lifted off the ground.

“Now. Die.”

The Wendigo spoke like each word was intense pain, but it had her now. This was it. She saw darkness at the edge of her vision and the world began to fade out.

A guttural scream sounded from behind the beast as something tackled the Wendigo around the waist. It staggered and dropped to a knee, letting Julie drop to the ground with a wet smack.

Julie looked up to see the bearded man from the tent grappling with the creature, attempting in vain to hold its arms back. He managed to restrain the remaining clawed arm by releasing the other and latching on with both hands, but the Wendigo violently drove its stump arm into the ground like a hammer looking for a nail, desperately trying to pummel Julie.Julie rolled sideways, then back, trying to avoid the swing of the creature’s arm. She swiveled around on her back and drew her knees up to her face.

Fighting through spotty vision, Julie delivered a mighty kick to the Wendigo’s chest, knocking it over at last and sending Linus reeling backwards into the face of the mountain.  
Julie began the chant again, drawing on arcane power to keep herself upright and to numb her pain. She weaved a protective cocoon of light around her torso, holding her ribs in place as well as any bandage. As soon as she felt herself able to stand, she changed her chant to something different. Something darker.

The Wendigo, unexpectedly, began scooting backwards through the dirt, yelping at the sound of the incantation.

Julie gritted her teeth and prepared finish her ritual. With a silent curse to herself and a prayer to the Moon Goddess for strength, Julie spat out the final words of the spell, tightened her focus, and drew the nicked and chipped blade of the axe violently across her forearm. Her blood ignited the moment it made contact with the axe, filling the air with an acrid stench. The fire axe, now very impressively living up to its name, burned with unnatural light.

Julie staggered as she panted out the last line of the spell, the effort draining the feeling out of half her body. She was ready to fall over again, Bind Wounds spell or no, but the deed wasn’t finished yet. She ducked a claw swipe, then another, bobbing and weaving like a prizefighter as the Wendigo flailed its deformed and charred limbs at her. She lurched forward and buried the burning axe head deep in the Wendigo’s sternum, igniting it in a blaze of flames that refused to be snuffed out by the rain. The creature howled and swatted at the axe with its good hand, snapping off the blade from the shaft. It took advantage of Julie’s exhaustion then, and turned to flee, using all its remaining strength to lurch through the rain-slick hillside, making for a dark yawning cave across the mountain lake. Julie did her best to give chase.

By the time she had trekked all the way to the mouth of the cave, the Wendigo had left a trail of black oily blood leading further in.  
Julie stood there a minute, paralyzed. Caves. She hated caves. In the murky gloom, she could just barely make out the silhouette of a minecart and some tracks. Mines. She really hated the underground.  
For just an instant, she was tempted to flee; Turn tail and leave this terrible place. But the piteous cries of the Wendigo from inside steeled her to her task. It wasn’t dead. She had a job to do.  
She stalked inside the cave, fumbling in her coat pocket for the oil and rag as she did. She flung the cap away and stuffed the rag into the bottle. She came upon the Wendigo then, at the edge of an elevator shaft, leaning heavily against the wall. Julie didn’t have the energy for another spell, but she had an old hunter’s tool to rely upon: A flint and striker bound together to form a crude lighter. She’d used it countless times to light her torch in the maze, and it seemed to spark no matter the battering it took.

The rag lit up with a flag that quickly wound its way to the top. Seeing the improvised molotov cocktail, the Wendigo slowly turned to face her.

One of its eyes had been burned to a blackened crisp, but it affixed her with the other.

“Please… Mercy.”

It begged. It didn’t sound like a beast anymore, but like a man, half delirious with pain. She raised the bottle.

“I’m sorry.”

“Don’t kill me!”

Penny’s voice echoed through the cave, reverberating in Julie’s ears like a broken record.

She almost dropped the bottle.

Wendigo could mimic voices, she told herself. But where had this thing heard Penny’s voice? She shook her head to clear it, to no avail.

With a cry of both anger and disgust, Julie drew her knife withe her free hand and stabbed the bottle, causing a steady flow of flammable liquid to begin gushing out. She hurled the molotov cocktail straight into the Wendigo’s chest, the flames at last reaching the inside. The plastic went up in flames, melting as the oil burned and spread across the Wendigo’s body, rapidly enveloping the beast in cleansing flame. It wasn't a pretty sight.

  
It shrieked and tumbled down the mineshaft, screaming in Penny’s voice all the way down. The scream ended abruptly after a few seconds.  
Julie walked out into the rain, numb. There she knelt, drenched in monster blood and caked in mud, letting the downpour wash the stink off of her in cool rivulets. Her brain had latched onto the strangest thing. In the cave, briefly in the light of the fire, she had caught a glimpse at the tattered black cloth of the suit the Wendigo had once worn. It bore two ‘J’s bound together by a large blocky font. It was strange, she could have sworn she’d seen the font somewhere before. In her exhausted state, it soon slipped from her mind.

She meditated there a moment, listening to the rain and feeling her body going cold. She would need to go inside soon. How long had she even been kneeling there? It mattered little. She felt traumatized, but strangely, fiercely alive and whole.

A Hunter must hunt, after all.

When she had strength enough to stand and make her way shakily back to the tent, Linus was waiting to help her down the hill. Robin and Demetrius met her at the door, ushering her in and calling for the girls to ring Dr. Harvey. She walked a few steps towards Penny and Maru and promptly collapsed into their arms. With her Hunter powers taken from her, the fight had very nearly killed her.

There was no couch in the main lobby of the house, (as Robin operated her shop out of the foyer) so Julie was placed gently down on Maru’s bed, her head in Penny’s lap.

Her vision swam a bit as she heard Demetrius yelling in the other room, sounding miles and miles away. Penny stroked her brow with a shaking hand, her lip trembling and her eyes red. Julie tried to comfort her, but her voice came out too wheezy to understand. Her powers of resilience were failing her, she could feel it. She felt battered and tired. Still, frozen and injured though she was, she supposed she was about as comfortable as she was going to get for the time being. It wasn’t an awful place to be. Penny’s hand felt nice and warm on her skin.

Sleep was what she needed now.

Yes. Sleep. That sounded nice.


	6. Doctor, Doctor

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wounded in the fight, Julie gets medical attention and reflects on her time in Pelican Town. Cuddles to follow.

Doc Harvey arrived about half an hour later, wearing pajamas and a yellow rain slicker. He held an umbrella in one hand and a bag of medical tools in the other.

  
Julie was only vaguely aware of the doctor’s presence when he entered the room. He came into the space flanked by Maru and Robin, Maru preparing a roll of bandages while Harvey gave her instructions.

Julie was meditating, trying to focus on breathing and the soothing, rhythmic brushing of Penny’s hand against the side of her head. She was comfortable enough to drift off, until Harvey began poking and prodding her damaged ribs. She let out a small yelp as he probed a tender section of bone.

“I’m sorry, but I have to make sure nothing is broken.”

Harvey felt along her side, pressing each rib until Julie let out another sharp hiss of pain.

“Well, you’ve definitely got some cracks. I think the lowermost one here may be broken. Maru, bandages.”

Maru rushed over and handed Harvey a roll of gauze. The two of them carefully lifted Julie’s head and torso off the bed and helped her get her shirt off. Then came the long (and cold) process of wrapping Julie’s wounds with bandages. Julie’s ribs couldn’t be wrapped for need of letting her broken rib heal without constricting her lungs, but they wrapped the claw marks and garish purple bruises as best they could. Harvey gave her a pill to take with water, and she choked it down with only minor incident. (She may have spilled water on Penny, but that was beside the point.) Harvey audibly tsked and shook his head, showering Julie in cold water drops like a dog drying itself.

“Oh, sorry! I didn’t think to dry off properly when I came in.”

He began examining her head for concussions, intermittently asking questions about how well she could see and hear, as well as queries about the fight. The man spoke a mile a minute.

“What in the world were you fighting, a truck?”

“Guh.” Was her only response.

“Well, you’re lucky it didn’t kill you, whatever it was. I can’t say I envy your line of work.”

At last the wrapping was done and Julie was laid back down on Penny’s lap. A blanket was pulled up to her chin. She attempted to speak.

“Bug Fuh.”

“You’re going to have to sit up if you want me to hear you properly.”

Coming reluctantly off of Penny’s lap once more, Julie cleared her throat again and uttered two words:

“Big fish.”

Harvey just stared at her a moment.

“I beg your pardon?”

Julie shakily raised her arms in a ‘this big’ gesture.

“Reeeally big fish.”

Maru began to laugh. Penny, seemingly in spite of herself, also began to giggle. That made the whole ordeal worth it, in Julie’s opinion.

Harvey groaned and set back about his prodding.

“This is no time to be a smart-ass! You have some serious injuries here, you’re going to need bed rest for at least a week. Maybe even two.”

“A week? Are you serious?”

“Uh-huh. And after that, you’re still going to have to be careful for the next four to six weeks to let those heal. Doctor’s orders.”

It was then she remembered her creaky little shack and how very far away it was. Julie didn’t like the idea of being stuck in her shack for an entire week, and she liked the idea of trying to walk in her condition even less. How was she going to get home? Did they have ambulances? She’d seen one bus, but as far as she knew, everyone in town just walked everywhere they went. There were no cars to be seen, and the town had no roads large enough to drive down in the first place. It was strange that she hadn’t noticed it sooner, but the entire place seemed too tiny to be real. She had only lived there a few weeks and she felt as though she already knew everybody in town by name. She’d have shaken her head if it wouldn’t have been painful to do so. She was just being paranoid.

“If you insist. How long till I can walk home?”

“Walk home? Miss, your bones need time to mend, you can’t just go galavanting all over creation!”

Robin spoke up.

“You can stay here, dear. I’m sure Maru doesn’t mind sharing the space for a few days.”

Maru perked up and looked at her mother.

“Not at all!”

“I couldn’t possibly impose like that.” Julie tried to protest.

“Nonsense!” Robin declared. “You were injured while protecting our home, we can offer you a place to rest and heal for a few days.”Julie didn’t think she had much of a choice. She didn’t like suddenly foisting herself on the family (it occurred to Julie that she hadn’t heard any of them mention their surname), but if she was honest, the onlything she wanted right now was to not move, and this course of action seemed in service of that goal.

 

“Okay. Why not?”

Harvey went about a few more tests, taking Julie’s pulse and blood pressure before getting in one last prod for good measure. With that, he bid Robin and Maru goodnight, told Julie to take it easy (and coincidentally that her bill would be in the mail), and walked out into the rain.

With a little help, Maru and Penny laid Julie down on Maru’s bed. For someone as short as she was, she was remarkably heavy. After helping her into a shirt of Maru’s, Maru and Penny rearranged her blankets and pillows and slumped onto the floor, their heads resting lightly against Julie’s arm.

“Some night, huh?” Maru asked as she stretched her arms above her head and yawned. She brought them back down, one on Penny’s shouler and one on Julie’s arm. Penny began to yawn as well, and she shifted her position so she could lay a bit more of her head against Julie’s side. Julie felt her hair brush across her arm and felt a flutter in her stomach.

“I’ll say.”

Penny shifted again so that she could make eye contact with Julie.

“We were watching through the window.” Penny said. “We were sure something awful was going to happen to you!”

Her slightly squished face lined with concern.

“I guess that’s one of the dangers of being a monster hunter, huh?”

“You could say that.” Julie said. She chuckled and then clutched at her side as a spike of pain cut her laughter short.

“Are you sure you’re going to be alright?” Maru asked.

“Yeah. I’ve had worse. I just need to lay down for a while. Do we want to continue the movie night? I’d love to finish the Sal… Solar…. The movie series. I liked it.”

Maru and Penny looked relieved.

“Uh, sure!” Maru said, getting up and scooting across the room to the video player (Julie hadn’t the slightest idea what it was called) and replacing the large plastic disk inside with another from a stack nearby.

As the night went on, Julie edged closer to the edge of the bed, just to be nearer to the two of them. Julie was surprised to find herself awake for several more hours, on and off watching the films and getting engaged in conversation with Maru and Penny about previous monster hunts. She tried to play a semi-active part in the conversation to keep her more turbulent thoughts at bay.

“Oh, one of those?” Julie remarked, pointing at a giant crocodile on screen. “Yeah, I hunted something similar.”

“No way.”

“Well, it was a bit bigger.”

“You’ve got to be kidding!”

“Think ‘mixed with a dog and also on fire’ and you’ve got the general idea.”

“Where in the world did you even encounter such a thing?” Penny asked.

Julie looked at the ceiling.

“The Labyrinth. A massive network of underground tunnels and tombs, supposedly the crypt of the gods. There was a power hidden in those tunnels, and it was guarded by some of the most fearsome beasts I’ve ever laid eyes on. Flaming watchdogs, undead giants, giant man-eating pigs, you name it. One of the worst was this hulking were-creature that was rumored to be the former head of the old Healing Church. I tracked him to a cavern underneath the maze, where he’d crawled off to hide.”

“That sounds horrible.” Penny said, her face pulling back into a grimace.

Julie felt a smidge of embarrassment that all of her work stories seemed to go this way.

“I needed something from him, and he was too dangerous to leave alive. By the time I got there, he’d transformed into a beast three stories tall. The Beast Plague somehow transmogrified people into… Well, things like that. And this one was big. Almost squashed me flat the moment I stepped into the room.”

“Rapid cellular rearrangement and expansive tissue growth caused by a virus? That sounds fascinating!” Maru said, visibly more interested than Penny. “How do you fight something like that?”

“A giant saw, if you can believe it. Go for the legs, avoid the thrashing limbs, and don’t let it grab you, whatever you do.”  
Julie was suddenly viscerally reminded of a massive hand tightening around her torso and squeezing until she felt her bones crack. She shuddered.

“I can’t believe this is a line of work people aspire to!” Penny sid, somewhat aghast.

“I mean, I suppose it’s necessary to keep things like that from getting loose and hurting people, I just can’t imagine staring something like that down and not wanting to run.”

“Oh, I wanted to run, believe me. Nothing marks the profession of the Hunter quite like the phrase ‘mistakes have been made’. It’s a lot of dumb luck and a little bit of old and forgotten magic. That’s the only reason we survive.”  
They laughed. She wasn’t kidding.

“Well enough about the Hunt. I’ve probably gone on too long already. Penny, what do you do?”

“Oh! Um… I don’t really ‘do’ anything, strictly speaking. I, uh… I don’t have a job.”

“Well there’s nothing wrong with that. Lots of people don’t have jobs. Besides, you teach Vincent and Jas, don’t you?”

“Well yes, but… I don’t know. Maru has her nursing work and you have your monster hunting. Me, though? Tutoring doesn’t pay all that well, and most of my money goes to expenses around the house since Mom is out of work too. I guess I just don’t really feel like I have much to contribute.”

Julie rotated herself somewhat painfully so she could more effectively look Penny in the eye.

“Hey, all I do is carry around a sword and wait to get tackled by reasons to use it. You’re teaching the youth! In my humble opinion, that’s more important than monster hunting.”

Maru gave Penny a reassuring smile and gave her shoulder a squeeze.

“And hey, if my dad hadn’t gone to school when he was young, he wouldn't be doing what he does now. Neither would I, for that matter!”

Penny began to smile.

“I… didn’t think of it that way. Thank you, both of you. I appreciate the perspective.”

“That’s what we’re here for.”

Soon after, they went back to the film, the lull of the rain outside and the ache in Julie’s bones slowly sapping her remaining strength. She closed her eyes as she listened to Maru explaining something about the plot of the film that had been different in the books. Julie found it a comforting sound to fall asleep to.

The comfort did not last.

She dreamed she was lost in a gnarled wood, surrounded on all sides by trees so tall she couldn’t see the sky. A thick fog coiled from the ground in a way that seemed almost deliberately ominous. Unseen creatures scuttled through the underbrush mere feet away. Julie crept down a winding dirt path half-overtaken by the foliage, her stained silver blade hanging at her hip. It was dark, so she pulled her lantern from its loop on her belt and lit it with a match. A small glow illuminated the forest around her, and she was suddenly surrounded by dozens of gleaming orbs.  
Snake eyes, reflecting the dim glow of the lantern, stared at her from the trees. Unmoving. Unblinking. There were too many to count. Julie stifled a gasp and went to draw her sword. However, the moment she touched the hilt, a serpent erupted from a nearby bush and sank its fangs into her arm. She cried out in pain and all the eyes began moving at once, converging on her position.

From all around, hideous creature shambled from the forest; Man-snake hybrids with dozens of serpents protruding from their necks. The hissed and rattled as they approached, striking out at Julie faster than she could count. She felt her body growing heavy as poison spread through her veins. She pulled her sword free in an act of defiance before promptly dropping it in the mud and keeling onto her side. It would be over soon. One of the snake-men approached, wielding an axe in his hands, his snakes opening their jaws to bare their fangs. As she watched, the man began to sprout fur and antlers as well,what remained of his human head shrieking in agony as it transformed. The axe rose.

“Something to remember me by.”

The voice sounded choked and scratchy, like hearing a severely damaged record from down a hallway. The blade whistled through the air as it fell. She could hear Penny screaming.

Julie woke up shaking and sweating, sitting up a few inches in panic before the pain in her abdomen drove her back down. She thrashed a bit, still feeling the cold mud on her back and the sting of the snake fangs. She lay there a moment, hyperventilating and trying to get ahold of herself.

“Julie? Julie, is that you?”

Shit. Someone was awake.

“I…”

She tried to speak, but couldn’t. Her throat was closed up so tight she could hardly breathe. She tried again.

“I…”

She felt a hand slip into hers. The voice spoke again.

“Hey, take it easy. Just take a deep breath and listen to the sound of my voice, okay?”

It was Penny. Julie felt her chest loosen just a bit and she sank back down into the mattress. She was here, at Maru’s. She was alright.

As her eyes adjusted to the dark, she could see a shape bundled up in a blanket at the foot of the bed, sitting up and holding her hand. Another form was across the room, slumped over onto a pillow and snoring away.

“It’s okay. It’s going to be just fine. I’m here with you.”

Julie’s breathing began to slow. She squeezed Penny’s hand.

“Bad dreams?” Penny asked.

“Mm-hm.” Julie responded, unable to formulate much more. She took a breath that came out much shakier than she’d planned. Her eyes were wet.

“I understand. Just keep breathing and focus on my voice. You’re going to be okay.”

Penny returned the hand squeeze and it calmed Julie’s turbulent mental state a bit. She could feel her arms shaking slightly, and she felt a lump rising in her throat. She managed to get out a few words.

“Thank you.”

“Of course.”

They sat there in silence for a long time, Julie trying to steady her breathing and Penny giving her hand the occasional squeeze. The minutes passed like hours, Julie listening to the rain outside mixing with Penny and Maru’s steady breathing. For some time, she just stared at the window and tried to count every raindrop on the pane. One… Two… Three...

At some point, Julie’s breathing had slowed. Julie looked at the digital lock on Maru’s dresser. It was almost four in the morning. She cleared her throat twice before attempting to speak.

“How long have you been up?”

Julie asked to the darkness. Penny’s voice came back, whispered and soft. Julie could just barely see her form propped up next to the bed.

“Most of the night. I dozed off here and there, but the storm keeps waking me.”

“Can’t sleep?”

“Not really. The thing outside scared the pants off of me. And I've never done well with thunderstorms in the first place. I guess I’m just too nervous to sleep.”

“Need me to go out and take a look around?”

She chuckled to herself and immediately regretted it. It hurt to laugh.

Penny laughed and squeezed her hand again.

“I can’t even tell if you’re kidding, you know that? You need rest, and I don’t want you to get hurt again.”

Julie was quiet a moment. Penny had been worried about her.

“Hey, Julie?

“Mm-Hm?”

“I never thanked you. For walking me here, I mean. I normally don’t like walking in the dark, but it was much easier with you around.”

In the dark, unseen by Penny, Julie was smiling, watery-eyed, up at the ceiling.

“Mm-hm.” Julie responded, trying to form coherent sentences through the encroaching fog of sleep. She felt exhausted, even more so than before she went to sleep.

But in this moment, she was happy.

“I’m always happy to walk with you.”

“That’s good to hear. I may have to hold you to that.”

“You can hold me to anything you like.”

She hadn’t meant to say the last bit out loud. Penny was quiet for a second, and Julie was worried she’d killed the moment, but Penny just sighed and said:

“I think I’d like that.”

Silence for a few minutes. She was drifting off to sleep.

“Hey, Julie?”

“Mm-hm?”

“I’m really glad you’re okay.”

Penny squeezed her hand again.

She squeezed back.


	7. The Big Wait

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Julie takes time to relax and recuperate.

Julie awoke the next morning to sunlight blazing in through the window. The storm had moved on. She did her best to stretch without aggravating her injured ribs and looked around the room.

 

Maru was already up, bustling about and dusting things with a small feather duster. Penny was curled up in a ball on the floor, using the movie nest as bedding. She snored softly, one hand still trailing out of her blanket towards the bed.

 

“Morning, Julie!” Maru said brightly. “How are you feeling?”

 

Julie groaned and laid her head back down on the pillow.

 

“Better than I did last night, but I still don’t wanna move.”

 

“Well you rest as much as you need to. I have weekends off from the clinic, so I don't have anywhere I need to be, aside from walking Penny home at some point. Anything you need, just let me know.”

 

“Thanks, I appreciate it.”

 

Julie groaned as her aching bones popped and cracked. Somewhere along the line, she’d begun doing that in the mornings. She lay there a while, recovering from her stretches and watching Maru go about dusting, organizing, then re-organizing everything on her desk. She was comfortable enough, and the blanket pulled up to her chest was warm and heavy. She was half tempted to go back to sleep, but the memory of the previous night’s dreams still hung in her mind. Besides which, she’d been sipping from a glass of water throughout the night and now she really needed to use the restroom. 

 

“Hey, Maru?”

 

“Hm?”

 

“Would you be so kind as to escort me to the bathroom?” 

 

“Of course!”

 

“I could also use a shower, come to think of it. I need to wash off the smell of old venison.”

 

Maru wrinkled her nose slightly.

 

“You do smell a little gnarly,” she said.

 

Her expression changed to a smile.

 

“I'd be happy to help.”

 

She crept over to the bed, stepping carefully over Penny, and locked arms with Julie, helping her sit up. Maru offered her shoulder and Julie took it, draping herself over Maru like a throw blanket and leaning on her heavily as they took uneven steps to the restroom. After much stumbling about and the occasional swear word, the two girls managed to make it out into the hallway.

 

Julie wasn't sure what time it was, but the house was already awake. Julie could hear Robin and Demetrius talking in the kitchen and loud music coming from downstairs.

 

“How late did I sleep in?”

 

“Well, it's almost noon, but I'm not sure you can 'sleep in’ while getting bed rest.”

 

“Noon? Damn. I was hoping to go for a jog. Maybe a hike. Might even go to the beach, try my hand at bodysurfing. The possibilities are endless.”

 

Maru laughed and showed her to the bathroom door.

 

“Let's start with a shower and see how much hiking you're up for after that, hm?”

 

“That seems like a more reasonable starting goal.”

 

Maru pushed open the door to reveal a sink and mirror, a toilet, and a modest bathroom with a purple-curtained shower and bathtub.

 

“Here you are, dear. There's shampoo and conditioner there on that shelf, and a bar of soap there in the dish.”

 

Julie took a few shaky steps on her own, edging past Maru into the bathroom.

 

“I think I can make it from here. Thanks for the help.”

 

Maru gave her a smile and nodded.

 

“No problem! Call for me if you need anything.”

 

She shut the door.

 

Julie stood there a moment, trying to wake up. At some point during the night, she had kicked off her wet socks, and the tile floor felt cold as ice under her feet. Still, she could stand. And hobble short distances! That was more than she could say for her last run-in with a Wendigo. She shuddered.

 

Putting the thought from her mind, she took a few achy steps back and forth across the bathroom floor to get a feel for moving about. It wouldn’t do to need help getting out of the bath. Her ribs protested when she moved, but she was used to such things. She groaned again and went about her business; first to the toilet, then to the sink, then to the shower. After all her needs were taken care of, she slowly reached out and grasped at handle, missing it once or twice before managing to get the hot water going.

 

While she waited for the water to heat, she began the slow, disorienting process of attempting to get undressed. Her Hunter trousers were easy enough. She had lost so much weight in the last several months  that it was only by the grace of a heavy belt that she kept them up at all. The shirt that Maru had lent her, however, proved difficult. Maru was notably more buxom than Julie, leaving extra room in the shirt itself, but the neckhole proved difficult to tackle. As she wriggled and hopped, trying to get the shirt over her head and mane of hair, it became increasingly clear to Julie that Maru had a slightly smaller head. Most of the time, Maru wore more open necklines, but the collar of this particular shirt proved unyielding. Julie gave it a tug and felt a stab in her ribs. She readjusted the way she was pulling and gave another tug. A seam audibly ripped just a smidge. 

 

Shit.

 

Julie stood there a moment, alone in a bathroom with her shirt pulled up halfway over her head and her pants at her feet, wiggling like a caterpillar trying to do battle with an ill-fitting shirt. A proud monster hunter, indeed.

 

After a very undignified grunt-and-dance combination, she at last managed to free herself from her purple polyester prison. She stood there a moment, staring at her own reflection in the mirror. It had been a  long time since she’d seen her own reflection without her Hunter’s gear, and it was startling.

 

She looked gaunt. Her skin was stretched tight over bones that were visible in several places. What little body fat she’d had was gone, replaced by lean muscle and scar tissue. Her breasts had shrunk considerably, and her hips were bony protrusions. Her stomach had lost its softness and had visibly shrunken to the point that it made eating nourishing meals difficult. What was more, she bore a hundred different scars from blades, claws, and burns, leaving her skin a multicolored patchwork of old injuries. She curled a lip at her own image, disgusted.

 

She turned from her ghostly reflection and directed her attention to the shower, which was now billowing steam into the room and beginning to fog the corners of the mirror. She reached in and adjusted the water temperature until it was ideal, then carefully unhooked her bra and stripped her smallclothes before stepping into the warm haze.

 

Showers. By the Goddess, there were few things she had missed these long months more than a hot shower. Her hair plastered itself to her face as she stood there, basking in the warmth and familiarity. She could no longer see, but she didn’t care. She’d always felt a certain security in taking showers, despite the vulnerability they came with. The running water drowned out all but the most invasive of thoughts, and she was left with the splashing drops echoing all around her. It was like standing out in a warm rain.  Even during her days on the road, she would sometimes save up for a cheap motel just so she could take a shower. 

 

She must have stood there a full ten minutes, just letting the water cascade down her shoulders and back and drinking in its heat. She was lost in thought about a million different things, and despite the babble of the water, they all seemed to want to speak at once. There was too much to think about.

 

The Wendigo. Where did it come from? Who was it? How did it know Penny? And how had it known to use Penny against Julie? Too many questions, not enough to go on. At least Maru and Penny were safe.

 

Penny.  Penny was a sweetheart, and Julie would be lying if she said she didn’t find her incredibly attractive. But was she the type to go for someone with such a dangerous profession? And what was more, did Julie think for a second that she was emotionally prepared to let someone else in after her time in the maze? Was she overthinking it? Was there anything to overthink? They’d only known each other a few weeks. Still. Time felt… Different here. Spring was almost over, and the weather was already heating up in preparation for summer. The strange thing was, it felt natural. She’d found herself using phrases like ‘all Spring’ or ‘all season’ when talking to townsfolk, as the season did feel well and truly like it was ending. Had three months passed? Surely not. She’d only been here a few weeks, right? It felt longer, and the more she mulled on it, the more confused she became.

 

She shifted her weight and a sharp pain in her broken rib brought her back to reality. How long had she been in the shower? Dammit.

 

She picked up the bar of soap and began to clean herself properly for the first time in what felt like ages. Tumbling through the river was all well and good, but there’s only so clean that watersport can get a person. Even now, parts of her body were still covered with dirt, blood, and she didn’t want to think about what else. The Labyrinth was a foetid and rotten place, and Julie was astounded that the residents of Pelican Town hadn’t fled in terror from the smell alone when Julie first wandered into town. The people around here seemed to surprise her an awful lot.

 

She leaned heavily on the wall and managed to lower herself to a sitting position, the spray of the shower raining down softly from above. She braced her feet against the walls of the tub so she wouldn’t slip. 

 

And then, she began to cry.

 

Not constrained, dignified tears, but open, wracking sobs. The splatter of water against the wall and floor masked the sound, and she wept in blessed obscurity. She didn’t care if someone did hear her. She struggled to find breath. Her shoulders shook in a manner most painful, but she didn’t care. It had been so long since she’d been able to cry.

 

It went on like this for some time, Julie sobbing into the comforting tiled void and the void responding with the steady babble of the drain.

 

After far longer than would normally be considered polite, Julie shut off the water and sat there a while, just staring at the wall.  She was comfortable where she was. She didn’t want to get up.

 

There was a knock at the door.

 

“Julie? You okay?”

 

It was Maru.

 

“Yeah, I’m alright. Gimme a sec.”

 

She braced herself against the side of the tub and propped herself up, carefully coming to her feet with minimal fuss.

 

Getting dressed was the hard part. She almost fell over attempting (and failing) to get her pants on over her wet legs, and gave up on trying to re-clasp her bra entirely. Not that it mattered much. The garment, like all her clothes, was ragged, stained, and unflattering. It had once been white, now a dull grey, and so worn-in that it had worn thin in some spots and sagged at the straps.  She had hardly noticed she’d slept in it, but now that it was off she resolved that it was not going back on unless she needed to leave Maru’s place for some reason. She also resolved to ask Maru for a thicker shirt.

 

She emerged slowly into the hall, wrapped in a dark blue towel she’d found hanging up in the washroom. She held her trousers and Maru’s shirt in a bundle close to her chest and struggled to keep her towel from shifting.  She really should have grabbed clean clothes from Maru before she left the room. 

 

She didn’t see Maru in the hallway, but she did almost walk smack into Penny as she came out of Maru’s room.

 

Julie had limped down the hall, one hand feelling along the wall for support and the other gently holding her ribs, and nudged the door open, only to see Penny on the other side, bleary-eyed and yawning. She jumped a bit when the door suddenly opened, but relaxed when she saw that it was Julie. Julie, just as startled as Penny, felt her towel slip as she flinched, and she leaned down somewhat unsuccessfully to grab it as it began to fall.

 

“Oh, let me get the door for you!” Penny sputtered.

 

She quickly backed into the room and pulled the door open, giving Julie space to hobble in. As she approached, Julie saw Penny’s eyes flit downward once, then twice, before her face turned a bright shade of pink. Julie tried not to think about it as she made her way inside and sat down on the edge of the bed, rearranging her towel as she did so.

 

Penny shut the door quickly and quickly crossed the room to shut the open blinds. The room suddenly became very dim. She turned to face Julie, then angled herself slightly away again.

 

“Um...  I’ll wait outside, while you get dressed, if you want.“

 

“Actually, if you don’t mind, I could use some help.”

 

She said it before she thought about it, but she wasn’t entirely unhappy that she said it.

 

“Oh, sure! I mean, I wouldn’t mind! I mean, uh…”

 

“Thank you.”

 

Julie gave her a warm smile and she looked less nervous. She smiled back, and couldn’t suppress a giggle.

 

“How may I be of help?” she asked.

 

“Well for starters, I need to find a new shirt. The one Maru lent me fit okay, but the neckhole was a bit tight. I had some trouble getting the darn thing off when I went to shower.”

 

“Oh, that sounds like it would have hurt,” Penny said, putting a hand to her mouth.

 

Her expression brightened.

 

“Oh! I could lend you one of mine!”

 

She crouched down to her bag on the floor and began rifling through it.

 

“Hm… My t-shirt would probably be too small. But my blouse would probably fit! And that way you don’t have to pull it over your head.”

 

“That sounds nice. Are you sure, though?”

 

It occurred to Julie that Penny was  _ wearing  _ her blouse.

 

Penny sheepishly unbuttoned the first few buttons of her shirt and locked eyes with Julie. Julie would have tugged at her collar if she had one.

 

“Yeah, I’m sure. Here.”

 

Her face reddening ever deeper, she peeled off the yellow blouse to reveal alabaster skin and a plain white bra underneath.

 

Julie didn’t mean to stare, but stare she did. It was difficult to remember what they were talking about. She opened her mouth, then shut it again. She cleared her throat.

 

“It means a lot, thank you.”

 

She extended her hand, allowing the towel to drop around her waist. She felt a rush of blood to her face as she saw Penny’s eyes widen. She bit her lip. Penny opened her mouth to say something as she took a step closer.

 

The door opened, and Maru strolled in whistling a tune.

 

Penny froze, her expression changing to one of shock and embarrassment. Julie felt her own face reddening as she drew up the towel around herself.

 

Maru stopped and looked back and forth between the two. She stopped whistling.

 

“Erm… I can take a walk, if you guys want me to.”

 

“No, it’s fine!” Penny blurted out.

 

“We were just-”

 

“Yeah, just-’

 

“Needed a new shirt.”

 

“-new shirt.”

 

“Whatever you say. I’m not judging.”

 

Julie cleared her throat. Penny hastily ducked down and retrieved her t-shirt from the floor.

 

“Could you girls help me get this thing on?” Julie asked, holding up the yellow shirt.

 

“Of course!” Penny and Maru said in unison.

 

The two helped her get the blouse over her arms , and she buttoned up the front most of the way. Her arms were stiff and sore, but she at last managed to get herself in presentable shape. This accomplished, she gently flopped back down onto bed and gave a blustery exhale.

 

“There we go.”

 

Maru helped her get her legs into bed so she didn’t have to utilize her core.

 

“Anything I can get for you, Julie?”

 

“No, I’m alright, thank you.”

 

“Well, sit tight. Penny and I were gonna take a walk, but it shouldn’t take long.”

 

A look of minor annoyance crossed Penny’s face.

 

“My mom wants me to come home and do the dishes before she heads out for the saloon tonight.”

 

Her expression brightened.

 

“But I wanted to send Maru back with some books for you to read!”

 

Julie’s eyes lit up.

 

“That sounds wonderful! I really appreciate the gesture, thank you.”

 

Penny smiled and Julie could have sworn she batted her eyelashes.

 

“It’s no trouble at all! I’d hate to think you were stuck in bed all day with nothing to read. You can get them back to me whenever you finish them!”

 

“Julie, will you be alright here by yourself for a while?” Maru asked.

 

“I’ll be okay. I don’t suppose you’d mind leaving a movie playing?”

 

“Not at all!”

 

Maru held up a selection of discs.

 

“‘Voyage of the Mar’Guia’, ‘Space Wizards Anonymous’, or ‘Ithaca VII’?

 

“Any recommendations?”

 

“Well, ‘Ithaca’ is pretty scary. I remember you mentioning you were into horror.”

 

“Ooh, sounds fun! Sure, pop it in.”

 

“Alrighty. I should be back before it’s over.”

 

“Alright, safe travels.”

 

She hesitated a moment, then spoke up again.

 

“Oh, and Penny?”

 

Penny turned back to her.

 

“Hm?”

 

“I’m sure you’ll be busy during the week with your tutoring, but next weekend, if Doc Harvey clears me to move around on my own… Would you like to walk me home?”

 

Penny’s smile grew into a grin.

 

“Sure. I’d love to.”

 

“Perfect. You two be safe, now.”

 

“Can do.”

 

With that, the three women said their goodbyes and Maru closed the door behind her. Julie was left with silence ringing in her ears. Thoughts buzzed about her skull like a million bees; some pleasant, some less pleasant. She had a tendency to become lost in thought when alone.

 

She tried to focus on the film, a horror/comedy about a maintenance officer on a derelict spaceship struggling to reach the surface of the planet their wreck is orbiting, all the while pursued by strange quadrupedal shark creatures. Maru had been pretty spot-on. It was definitely her kind of film.

 

A knock on the door came around the second act of the film.

 

“Come in!”

 

The door opened and Robin poked her head in.

 

“Hey there, dearie. I thought I’d bring you some lunch, since you can’t exactly run down to the Saloon. Here, its fried fish and potatoes. I brought an apple and a Joja Cola as well.”

 

She laid the food down gently on Julie’s lap and set the can of soda down on the nightstand.

 

“Just holler if you need anything, okay?”

 

Julie felt as though she’d been getting that phrase a lot lately. It was strange to have so many people concerned for her well-being after her months in isolation.

 

“Can do.”

 

Maru arrived half an hour later, holding a small stack of books bound together by a red ribbon. Attached was a small note:

 

_ Julie, I think you might be interested in these. I tried to throw together a few different genres, so take your pick! Let me know if you want more, I’ve got plenty.    - Penny. _

 

After her name, Penny had drawn a small heart.

 

“Oh my goddess, why does she have to be so cute?” Julie wondered aloud, half to herself, half to Maru. Maru let out a snort of laughter and plopped down on the bed next to Julie.

 

“You’re telling me. I’ve known Penny for years and she’s always been a sweetheart.”

 

“Is she, uh… Well, you know-”

 

“Single? Oh yeah.”

 

Julie felt her face go red.

 

“I only ask for the sake of curiosity, of course.” Julie said with an unconvincing smile-and-finger-guns combo.

 

“Uh-huh. Sure you do.”

 

Maru cleared her throat and looked Julie in the eye.

 

“Would you like to walk me home?” She clasped her hands in front of her face and batted her lashes at Julie, who was certain that her face would catch fire any minute.

 

“Okay, okay, so I’m as subtle as a freight train full of air horns, what of it?”

 

Maru began to cackle.

 

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m just giving you shit. Honestly, it’s really sweet. Both of you are so cute I can’t stand it.

 

“Why, aren’t you quite the flatterer?” Julie asked, joking.

 

“Only with the pretty ones.”

 

Maru gave her a wink. Julie blinked several times, unsure how to respond, but enjoying the sentiment.

 

“I will admit, I wasn’t expecting you to wind up in my bed this quickly, but I’m not exactly complaining.”

 

Julie almost snorted. 

 

“Well I can certainly think of ways I’d rather end up here, but I suppose that’s life for ya.”

 

Maru laughed and gave Julie’s shoulder a squeeze.

 

“I kid, mostly. At any rate, it is great to have you here. I spend most of my free time working on inventions, so I don’t get a lot of non-family social interaction. It’s really nice to have company.”

 

“Well Wendigos notwithstanding, I have quite enjoyed my time here! You have a lovely home, and your parents have been surprisingly cool with an armed, injured monster hunter camping out in their house.”

 

She gestured to the now-empty plate and can on the side table.

 

“I still can’t believe how nice everyone in this town is. I’ve only been here one season

and everyone talks to me like I’ve lived here half my life!”

 

“We’re a small community, I suppose we’re just welcoming of new faces. It’s been like that every time someone has moved in.”

 

“So you’re not all locals?”

 

“Nope. A couple of us moved out here from Zuzu City, and I think Penny’s mom is from the desert.”

 

“Huh. Neat.”

 

“What about you? You’ve mentioned that you spent a lot of time travelling, but you never told us where you’re from.”

 

Julie laughed internally, in spite of the lump that still rose in her throat when she thought of home. That was a long story, indeed.

 

“You could say I’m from far away. Really far away. Like, ‘no-one has heard of it here’ kind of far away.”

 

“Well that’s specific.”

 

“Well I’m not sure how else to begin without giving you a novel’s worth of background information. It was quiet. Lots of trees, lots of greenery. In some areas, you could go miles and miles without running into another human being.”

 

“Wow. That sounds lonely, but also really peaceful.”

 

Julie chuckled.

 

“Oh, it’s only lonely if you’re alone. And I was, for some time. But then, life happened and I met some people.”

 

“How, if you don’t mind me asking?”

 

“Well, much the same way I met you: Chance. I wound up in the right place in the right time and the rest is history.”

 

“You still haven’t told me what this place is called.”

 

“If you must know, it’s called Oregon.”

 

“Oregon? Nope. Never heard of it.”

 

“Eh, that’s fine. It was always a quiet place, not a whole lot to report on, really. I used to live in a little town only a bit bigger than Pelican Town, and I stayed in a shed in a friend’s backyard.”

 

“Wow. So, I suppose that makes your river shack a bit of an upgrade, then?”

 

“Well, there’s more square footage, but I more miss the folks.”

 

“Folks?”

 

“Folks. We had quite a group, back home. It’s been a long time now, but I do still miss them.”

 

“I see. We don’t have to talk about it if it’s a sore subject.”

 

“It’s…”

 

She wanted to say it was fine, but whenever she focused too much on her past, her head began to spin and her chest began to tighten.

 

“It’s just a lot to talk about. Maybe another time?”

 

“Of course, I’m sorry to pry.”

 

“Oh, don’t worry about it, I’m usually an open book.  Just…”

 

“I understand. Say no more.”

 

“Thank you.”

 

They sat in silence for a time, watching the end of Ithaca VII. As an escape pod covered in bioluminescent shark creatures hurtled through the void of space towards an alien planet, Maru kicked off her shoes and shifted her position so she could sit next to Julie with her feet extended across the bed. Julie lay there, half watching the movie and half thumbing through some of the books Penny had lent her, still wrapped in her shirt. A few nagging thoughts still nibbled at the corner of her mind, but she pushed them away and leaned her head against Maru’s side.

 

She was beginning to like it here.


	8. Plain Sailing Weather

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Julie gets some visitors. Maru opens up a bit. Potential mistakes are made. Fun times!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW: Marijuana use.

Julie spent the next week in relative peace. It was difficult to sleep in during the weekdays, as Robin began work on her carpentry projects first thing in the morning, but Julie found the rhythmic distant hammering oddly soothing as she lay awake in bed staring at the ceiling. Maru was likewise an early bird, waking up around seven in the morning to either prepare for her shift at the clinic or to help Demetrius in his lab. In fact, the only person who seemed to sleep in around the mountain home was the fabled Sebastian, who Julie had seen neither hide nor hair of despite her living in his house for several days. She only knew of his presence in the house at all from Robin’s initial mentioning of him and Demetrius’ occasional banging on his door in an attempt to lower the volume of his music. It was strange, being in a place so… Alive.

 

Julie felt like a bit of a layabout, hearing the hustle and/or bustle of the house from her cozy spot in bed. She wished she could have gotten up to be of some kind of help, even if it was just to keep Maru company. Alas, however, she found herself healing somewhat slowly, and she spent most of her days propped up in bed with a book or three. Penny had picked out a lovely set of fantasy novels about a treasure hunter and her mage wife solving ancient riddles, as well as a slightly dusty sci-fi tome and a few light reading romance novels that she hadn’t gotten to yet. It was wonderful to have reading material again, even if she didn’t quite understand how this world’s magic worked. They had monsters, which implied they had other magical creatures as well. So what about mages? Julie hadn’t met any obvious magic-users in town yet, but did they exist in this realm? She’d once heard brief whisperings about a witch in the Saloon, but she hadn’t a clue whether that signified an old herbalist with an air of local superstition or a bonafide sorceress with arcane powers. Both had been surprisingly prominent in Yharnam, and Julie was less than anxious to meet this ‘witch’ as a result. Regardless, it was always fun seeing how different realms tackled what was and wasn’t considered ‘fantastical’. For example, she’d learned that levitation magic was considered the stuff of flights of fancy, but teleporting from one place to another was as simple as carving a totem out of wood from the area you wanted to go. Strange.

 

She’d chatted Maru up about the books when she had downtime to spend in the room, and they soon developed quite a rapport about the inner workings of the plot and characters. Julie hadn’t had a friend to geek out with for longer than she wished to recall, and it was an invigorating experience that kept her sane through the long, sore hours of recovery.

 

Penny came to visit on Thursday afternoon. Julie’s heart leapt a little when Penny’s shock of red hair peeked into the room, and she gave her a warm smile. They chatted about the books for a while until Penny let out an ‘Oh!’ and began fishing through her bag.

 

“I made you these!”

 

Penny retrieved a small plastic container with half a dozen cookies in it.

 

“Oh, sweetie, that’s really too kind of you.”

 

Julie said, trying to ignore the waggling eyebrow she was getting from Maru.

 

“Nonsense! I’ve been trying to work on my cooking for a while now, so you’ll actually be doing me a favor!”

 

Penny opened the lid and the room began to fill with the aroma of warm cookies.

 

“Although Mom seemed really insistent that she help me with this batch.”

 

“You know, I still haven’t met your mother.”

 

Penny’s face fell a bit.

 

“Yeah, she’s uh… Not around much.”

 

“Oh. I see. I’m sorry to hear that.”

 

“She spends her days at the Saloon, mostly. Most of her nights, too. It leaves me alone to do the cleaning a lot of the time, but what can you do?”

 

“That hardly seems fair.”

 

“It’s alright. I just wish she’d take more responsibility around the trailer. I-”

 

Her mouth snapped shut and her face reddened.

 

Oh.

 

Julie knew the trailer. It was the only one in Pelican Town, occupying the lot and back alley behind the Mayor’s whitewood manor. Windswept trash cluttered the ‘yard’ and a small pile of ever-changing bottles could be seen out front at all times. A ramshackle fence kept a mangy dog more or less contained off to the side. (Julie was certain it could leave if it wanted to, but she had never actually seen the dusty old thing move)

 

It was a place in visible need of maintenance, and Julie could take a guess as to how the inside looked. She’d never minded places like that, but she understood Penny’s reluctance to admit that that was where she lived.

 

“Hey, there’s no shame in living somewhere compact.”

 

Julie tried to keep a positive edge to her voice to lift Penny’s spirits.

 

“I know, I’ve heard the whole spiel before. I just… I don’t know, it’s embarrassing! Mom spends half her time at the Saloon and the other half passed out in front of the TV, and I can’t keep the place clean all by myself, and-”

 

Her eyes had begun to glisten.

 

Julie reached out and gently laid a hand to the side of Penny’s face, turning her gaze up to meet Julie’s.

 

“Hey. It’s okay. Take a deep breath and let it out.”

 

Penny nodded and did so.

 

“Sometimes life deals you a shit hand and the only way through is forward. But you’re not going to be shut up in that trailer forever, and you aren’t any less deserving of respect because of where you live.”

 

Penny gave her a watery smile. She dabbed at her eyes with her sleeve.

 

“I… Thank you, Julie. I really think I needed to hear that.”

 

“And hell, once I heal up enough, I’d be happy to lend you a hand keeping the place tidy!”

 

“Oh, I couldn’t ask you to do that!”

 

“Well, you don’t have to ask if I offer, right?”

 

“I suppose it would be nice… Are you sure?”

 

“Positive. I have to pay you back for all these cookies somehow, right?”

 

Penny giggled.

 

“That’s a pretty good point. I guess I have no choice, then.”

 

She heaved a big fake sigh.

 

“Just uh… Don’t mention it to my mother, okay? She wouldn’t be happy if she thought I was begging for help with my chores.”

 

“My lips are sealed.”

 

Julie emphasized the last bit by taking a large bite of a cookie.

 

Shortly thereafter, the sun began to set and Penny headed for home. When Maru

returned from walking her there, she looked Julie dead in the eye and said:

 

“She didn’t stop talking about you the entire way home.”

 

Julie turned the color of cooked salmon and made a noise somewhere in the vicinity of a giggle and a cough.

 

“You’re serious?”

 

“Dude, she totally likes you! You must have worse eyesight than I do if you don’t see it.”

 

“I don’t see it.”

 

In truth, she did. Maybe a little bit. But her giddiness was tempered by caution. In her experience, such things were never easy.

 

“Uh-huh. Is that why you’ve got that goofy grin plastered all over your face? Really, it’s adorable.”

 

“I will admit to perhaps noticing a sign or two.”

 

She cleared her throat.

 

“What of it?”

 

Maru sat down on the bed.

 

“I’m not going to speak for her. But I see a spark here. And I consider you both friends, so I’m pretty happy to see you hitting it off so well.”

 

There was a slight twinge to her voice that Julie couldn’t quite place.

 

“I’m just saying. You seem really nice, and I care about Penny. A lot. I guess I just want to say… I know you lived a dangerous life before you came here. And I don’t mind that one bit! It’s fascinating to hear you talk about your hunts. I just… I dunno, Penny’s a bit more skittish.”

 

“You think my monster hunting will get in the way if things go that direction?”

 

“I’m not saying that! I’m just saying that Penny is very dear to me, and I worry about her. I saw you fight that Wendigo. I didn’t see all of it, but I saw enough. What you did with that axe gave me the shivers something fierce.”

 

Julie straightened up a bit in bed.

 

“Do you think I’m dangerous?”

 

“Well… Yes. I know for a fact that you are. And it doesn’t bother me. Honestly, Julie, you seem really nice, when you aren’t fighting for your life. Hell, if you weren’t so sweet on Penny...”

 

She looked Julie in the eye and shrugged. Julie felt a slightly confused twinge.

 

“Regardless, I want to ask that you treat her kindly if you two do decide to keep spending time together.”

 

Julie nodded.

 

“That much, I can promise you.”

 

“Excellent. Sorry, I hope that didn’t make things weird.”

 

Julie shook her head.

 

“Don’t worry about it. You’re a good friend of hers, it’s perfectly within your rights to be concerned. Besides, I do have a slightly hazardous profession.”

 

Julie was suddenly and viscerally reminded of the sound of Penny’s scream travelling down the mineshaft.

 

“I swear to you, Penny won’t come within a hundred yards of the Hunt.”

 

“That’s what I was hoping to hear.”

 

Maru smiled at her and Julie smiled back, trying to ignore the sudden queasy feeling she’d been overcome with.

 

The subject of Penny was dropped for the time being, and the girls moved on to discussing what movie they would watch later that evening while Maru prepared to go help her father in his lab. Maru made promises of popcorn and another horror flick. Tempting, Julie thought, if somewhat too close to home. She accepted regardless, not letting her apprehension show. With a smile and a wink, Maru was out the door and down the hall. Julie hadn’t even caught the end of what she’d been saying, she was so lost in thought.

 

Julie sat by herself for the better part of an hour, flipping through one of the romance novels without really reading it. She thought about Penny, and her endearing (if somewhat shy) advances. She thought about Maru, and the way she looked at Julie with just a hint of sadness. She thought about her friends back home, and wondered what they were doing now. She thought of the Wendigo. Who were they? What drove them to beasthood?

 

So lost in thought was she that she didn’t hear the knock on the door until it sounded twice.

 

Julie looked at the door, puzzled. Earlier, Robin had let herself in, and Maru came and went from the room freely.

 

“Come in.”

 

Julie sat up and buttoned Penny’s blouse up a button or two.

 

Into the room leaned a tall, lanky young man with spiky jet-black hair.

 

“You’re Julie. The monster hunter.”

 

It wasn’t a question so much as a statement.

 

“That’s me.”

 

Julie replied.

 

“Mom and Demetrius told me what happened the other night. Sounds like it was some heavy shit.”

 

Julie nodded slowly. She supposed this was Sebastian, Maru’s rarely seen half-brother. He seemed awkward, lingering in the doorway and not stepping into the room proper.

 

“Anyway, I wanted to give you this. You know. As a thank you, or whatever.”

 

He finally took a quick few steps into the room and placed something on the bedside table.

 

It was a brownie.

 

“Sam and I made a batch a while back, and we don’t exactly burn through them. They’re really good for pain relief, so I figured…”

 

He trailed off.

 

“Thanks, dude. I appreciate it. I think.”

 

Julie picked the brownie up and sniffed it.

 

Whew. Potent.

 

“Just make sure you eat something first. And whatever you do, don’t share it with my half-sister. I’m not sure she could handle it, to be honest.”

 

With another awkward shuffling of feet, Sebastian retreated out of the room and shut the door behind him.

 

Julie sat there for a moment, blinking. Sebastian was a bit of a cryptid, and now that he was gone, Juie wasn’t entirely sure she’d seen him at all. Perhaps it had been swamp gas, or a weather balloon. He certainly wasn’t as talkative as the rest of his family. Julie also made a mental note that he’d referred to Demetrius by name.

 

She turned her attention to the small hunk of chocolate confection sitting on the nightstand. It was by no means Julie’s first rodeo, but her experience with edibles was very limited. She reached out and picked it up slowly, as if it was a bomb ready to go off. Should she eat it? And if so,how much of it? Would she be able to maintain?

 

Still… She had fond memories of sitting with Kat and Lily in the shed, passing a smoke back and forth and swapping stories. She hadn’t gotten high in ages, but surely it would just be a bit of harmless fun. As long as she didn’t eat the whole thing at once, right?

 

She nibbled off the corner of the three-inch square and chewed. She was immediately hit by the slightly minty flavor of cannabis as well as an overindulgent amount of dark chocolate. The sweetness of the chocolate didn’t entirely mask the taste of the ‘special ingredient’, but it was tolerable enough that Julie found herself taking another few small nibbles before stopping and telling herself to wait until after dinner.

 

By the time food was served, Julie’s stomach was rumbling audibly. When Maru brought in a plate of chicken, rice, and steamed vegetables, Julie’s eyes grew to the size of saucers.

 

“Hungry, are we?”

 

Maru asked with a chuckle.

 

“You have no idea. That smells delicious.”

 

Maru handed Julie her plate and left the room for a minute, returning again with her own food.

 

“Normally we try to have dinner as a family, but since you’re still stuck in bed, I felt like you could use some company.”

 

“That’s quite kind of you. I appreciate it.”

 

“No trouble at all.”

 

There was relative silence for a few minutes as the two women dug into their food. The chicken was juicy and delicious, seasoned with garlic and rosemary. The rice and veggies steamed like they’d come fresh out of a commercial for terrible microwave dinners. Julie ate with gusto, savoring every bite. Hot meals are the kind of pleasure that one never takes for granted if one has had to do without.

 

After their plates had been cleaned, Maru’s attention was brought to the brownie sitting on her bedside table.

 

“Let me guess. Sebastian?”

 

“Affirmative.”

 

“So that’s loaded with-”

 

“Marijuana, yes.”

 

“I see. Have you already had some?”

 

“Yup. About an hour ago. I got pretty hungry, but that’s about it. He said not to have too much without eating first.”

 

“Well I’m no expert on cannabis, but I trust Sebastian to know what he’s talking about. It’s probably good that you waited.”

 

“He also said not to share it with you.”

 

“That prick! Why not?”

 

“I think he thought you wouldn't be able to handle it.”

 

Maru folded her arms and blew a loose strand of hair out of her face.

 

“Please. I’m not a kid, I wish he wouldn’t act like it. I can handle myself! I’m a scientist, dammit!”

 

“Hey, his words, not mine.”

 

“I almost want to take a piece now just to spite him.”

 

“Well, I won’t stop you. Goddess knows that I shouldn't have the whole thing to myself.”

 

“Did he tell you how strong it is?”

 

“No, but I almost got a contact high from the smell alone.”

 

“Fair enough. I suppose there’s only one way to find out.”

 

Maru picked up the brownie and split it unevenly in half, giving the larger portion to Julie. Julie finished it in two large bites, swallowing quickly to avoid gagging on the minty aftertaste. With a look of determined pride, Maru followed suite.

 

They sat in silence for a few seconds, chewing.

 

“How long do we have?”

 

Maru asked. Julie wished she’d eaten slower.

 

“Erm… Anywhere from forty five minutes to an hour and a half, I’d say.”

 

“Great! That gives me time to make popcorn! I’ll be right back!”

 

With renewed vigor, Maru zipped down the hallway and out of sight. Julie smiled. It was always nice to see rebellious streaks in folks. Was she a bad influence?

 

Some time later, Maru returned with a bowl full of buttered popcorn and a selection of discs.

 

“So for the movie, do we want Silent Depth, The Witching Hour, or The Grinning Man?”

 

“Um… I have no preference, you decide.”

 

“Grinning Man it is! I haven’t actually seen this one beyond the first thirty minutes. When we went to see it in theatres, the projector died on us. I offered to fix it for them, but they didn’t let me.”

 

“Huh. You’d think a gadgetter offering their services for free would be more enticing than giving an entire crowd a refund.”

 

 

“Well,  I was thirteen. But still! I could have taken that thing apart with my glasses off.”

 

“I don’t doubt it.”

 

Julie directed her attention to the clock on the desk.

 

When had thirty minutes passed?!

 

Julie attempted to sit up and her world began to spin. She promptly flopped back down in a very undignified fashion and stared up at the ceiling. For a moment, she was disoriented and panicked until she remembered the small bites of brownie she’d taken before dinner. She relaxed.

 

Okay, so this was happening now. And they were about to watch a scary movie. What could go wrong?

 

“Oh, wow, is it nine o’clock already?”

 

“Yup.”

 

“Wow.”

 

“Yup.”

 

“You ready to start the movie?”

 

“Yyyup.”

 

Maru scooted across the room and leaned over the television, still plugged in on the floor from Julie’s first night in the house.

 

“It’s actually kind of weird having this thing in here, I don’t normally watch a lot of TV.”

 

“Well I appreciate you having it in here. It’s nice having the background noise.”

 

At last the movie began to play, opening with an ominous shot of a decrepit Louisiana-style plantation house. Julie shifted and wiggled trying to get comfortable. At last she found a decent position and she snuggled deep into Penny’s shirt, prepared for the horrors to come.

 

“Ready?”

 

“Ready.”

 

A little way into the film. Julie felt a tickle in her nose. Before she could stop herself, she let out a massive sneeze, her body jerking forward as she did.

 

“Bless you!”

 

Maru said with a laugh.

 

Julie snatched a tissue out of a box on the nightstand and wiped her mouth and nose.

 

Suddenly, the world shifted. The colors of Maru’s room swam slightly, and Julie became intensely focused on the chirping of birds in the ambiance of the movie. Time slowed and Julie soon found herself staring at her own hand with rapt attention.

 

Things were about to get interesting.


	9. Getting High and Fighting Snakes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> One hash brownie later, Maru and Julie have a heart-to-heart. Julie addresses some personal conflict. Violin throughout.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW: Marijuana use.

The hit came quickly and then slowed down time, like getting struck by a freight train made of molasses. Julie sat back and let the building tingling sensation build and swell like a wave in the ocean.

 

The ocean. Somehow, she had been in town an entire season and she had not once visited the beach. She felt a bit sad that she wouldn’t be up for swimming anytime soon, but the prospect of Summer made her long for the water.

 

Wait, why was she thinking about the ocean? What was going on in the movie? Julie looked back to the film to see a melting car and a crowd of scared teenagers huddled on the porch of the aforementioned creepy plantation house. What had happened? How long had the movie been going? Was Maru doing okay?

 

Maru. The thought pulled Julie through the building haze in her mind and she weakly spoke.

 

“Maru. How ya doin’, hon?”

 

She rolled over to find Maru lying sideways in the blanket nest, her glasses off and her eyes affixed to the screen.

 

“If you look at it juuust right, there’s a patch of the TV that’s slightly burned out. I think. My eyes may be playing tricks on me. How are you doing?”

 

“I can feel my pulse behind my eyes. It doesn’t hurt, mind you. It just feels weird.”

 

“My eyes feel weird all the time. That’s why I wear glasses.”

 

“I… Cannot fault your logic. I used to wear glasses.”

 

“Used to? I didn’t realize it was the sort of thing one grew out of.”

 

“Well, it’s… Complicated. When I became a Hunter, my eyesight got sharper. It’s one of the few things I didn’t lose when I left. Good thing, too. My glasses broke soon after I entered Yharnam.”

 

“Wait, your eyesight improved when you became a monster hunter?”

 

“In a manner of speaking, yes.”

 

“So, what, plague doctor laser surgery?”

 

“No, it was… Well, magic.”

 

“Magic? Fascinating. How did it work? Was it alchemy? I bet it was alchemy.”

 

“Whoa, slow down. I have no idea how it worked, I just know that it did. Aren’t you a scientist? I’d have thought that you’d scoff at the arcane.”

 

“Not at all! Magical study is just as valid as scientific study, though I profess to know much less about it.”

 

“So magic is a thing people can study around here, then?”

 

“Yes? Why wouldn’t it be?

 

“Oh, just trying to put the pieces together. Entering new lands always means learning the customs, and some places are less friendly toward mages.”

 

Maru’s eyes lit up and she looked up at Julie excitedly.

 

“So you are a mage! I’d thought so with that fire spell, but I also knew you went outside with a bottle of accelerant, so it could have been that. But that’s such a cool talent to have! I wish I knew magic.”

 

“Hey, if I’d known science in high school, I might have graduated.”

 

“Fair enough. Are all your spells… Erm… blood-powered?”

 

Julie looked at the ugly wound on her arm.

 

“That was… Very old magic. Most of my spells draw on my own life force, but they’re not all quite that literal about it.”

 

“Could using too powerful a spell kill you?”

 

“Oh, absolutely.”

 

“Wow. Talk about a risk/reward ratio in a field of study. Wait, I thought you said you didn’t know how it worked?”

 

“Oh. Um… Okay, you’ve got me there. I don’t really like talking about what I learned in Yharnam, although I suppose it’s my job now.”

 

“You don’t have to if you don’t want to, I was just curious.”

 

“No it’s alright. In Yharnam, an organization known as the Healing Church proclaimed that it could heal the ailing and dying with a miraculous process called ‘blood ministration’. It’s basically an IV drip of the blood of a cosmic entity. Don’t think about that last bit too hard or it it will literally drive you crazy, but there you go. People received transfusions of healing blood in droves, and the Healing Church rose to power almost overnight without thought to the consequences. Shortly thereafter, the Beast Plague ravaged the city, and the residents of Yharnam began to tear each other apart.”

 

Maru was listening with rapt attention, her eyes wide and reflecting the lamplight quite nicely. Julie had to make herself focus on the story she was telling. What was she talking about again?

 

“So, uh, yeah. That sucked. But the long and short is that the Hunters received specially treated blood in order to give them the power to hunt down the Beasts that plagued the city.”

 

“Interesting. And this blood ministration actually worked?”

 

“In a fashion, yes it did. All too well, I’d say.”

 

Maru nodded and was quiet for a long time. She looked like she wanted to know something but was hesitant to ask. When she spoke again, it was much softer.

 

“So… Why didn’t you turn into a monster?”

 

July wasn’t sure how to answer.

 

“The Hunters became monsters of a different kind.”

 

“Well that’s ominous.”

 

“The Hunter’s blessing was a great strength, for as long as you had the fortitude to withstand the Hunt. Blood ministration could make someone stronger, faster, able to sense things beyond the scope of normal humans. It was extreme, in many cases. The Hunt was demanding, and it took its toll on the city and it’s protectors in equal measure. By the time I escaped Yharnam, I’d seen an entire quarter of the city burned to the ground, seen the Hunters responsible transform into beasts I don’t even want to describe. It was horrible.”

 

“I’m sorry to hear that. If it’s difficult for you to talk about-”

 

“No, it’s alright. Really. It feels kind of good, actually. Like getting a weight off of my chest.”

 

“Okay, if you say so. I don’t want to pry.”

 

“To be honest, I think the only reason I’m not dead or worse right now is that I got lost in the maze. I wandered for so long that I slowly felt my Hunter powers beginning to slip away. The further underground I went, the weaker I became. I used to be different. A lot different. Here, though? I don’t feel any connection to the old Hunter magic.”

 

“And how do you feel about that?”

 

Julie looked at the ceiling.

 

“I don’t know. Good, I guess. Ever since I entered this Valley, I’ve felt myself returning. My powers are gone, but I don’t hear the call of the Hunt like I used to. There was a brief… Relapse, I guess you’d call it, when the Wendigo showed up, but it doesn’t call me constantly like it used to. It’s been a boon and a loss at the same time.”

 

“Well magic powers or no, I’m glad you found your way to Pelican Town. Life has been a lot more exciting with you around.”

 

“I’ll take that as a compliment.”

 

“You should.”

 

Maru gave her a smile. She returned it.

 

“How are you feeling, by the way?”

 

Maru’s brow furrowed as she searched for the right words.

 

“It’s like… Someone is pushing my brain forward and telling me to write down notes, but I cannot make my legs get me up and move me across the room to get my notebook. I’ve also got a strange urge to deep clean this place. And my workshop. And the bathroom.”

 

“Yeah, that sounds about right. You doing okay, brain-wise? No strange errant thoughts?”

 

“My brain is buzzing and subdued at the same time. It’s a pleasant sensation, though I wouldn’t want to feel like this all the time. How in the world does Sebastian handle this on a regular basis?”

 

“He’s probably got a much higher tolerance.”

 

“Huh. You’re probably right, though I’m not used to ‘tolerant’ being used to describe him.”

 

“Care to elaborate?”

 

“Oh, it’s nothing. I just wish he was a little more welcoming, is all. We share the same mother and my father has raised him since he was a kid. I’ve known him my whole life, and he still treats me like a stranger. It just bothers me that we aren’t closer, I guess.

 

Julie was never good with sorting out family issues, and she had trouble finding the words she needed.

 

“I see. Well, sometimes it can’t be helped. I’m sure if you badger him enough he’ll agree to spend some time with you.”

 

“You think that’ll work?”

 

“Sure it will. Maybe. Eventually. I’ve always been fond of the idea that you pick your family, and if he doesn’t want to be close at the moment, then fine. But he’ll come around. Just put the option out there and let him reach out on his own terms.

 

“That’s not a bad idea. I’m sorry to bother you with my family stuff, I normally keep those sorts of things to myself-”

 

“Don’t even worry about it. I’m here to listen and help if I can. What are friends for?”

 

Maru made an approving ‘hmm’ing noise and lleaned back into the pile of pillows and blankets that still occupied the floor. She was quiet awhile. Then, with a small gasp, she sat bolt upright and fixed Julie with an excited stare.

 

“Hey Julie?”

 

“Yeah?”

 

“Do you like music?”

 

“Of course!”

 

“You mind if I put something on? I have an album around here that sounds amazing. I think given the circumstances I might like it even better.”

 

“That sounds wonderful. Put on anything you’d like, dearie.”

 

With several false starts, Maru managed to stand herself upright and walked shakily to her desk. She picked up and unzipped a CD case and fished a disc out, placing it inside the television’s disc tray and putting  _ The Grinning Man  _ (which Julie had completely forgotten about until it ended) back into its case.

 

Naturally, Julie didn’t recognize the song that began to play, but she liked it nonetheless. It was soft and slow, with a violin playing softly in the background of the track. Julie focused on the soothing sound of the strings until she couldn’t even hear her  own thoughts. She closed her eyes and let the music take her away.

 

She drifted on a wave of pure sound, the mournful tune of the violins lulling her into a trance-like state. In her mind’s eye, she saw herself floating through a void dotted with stars, a million pinpricks of light in the inky darkness. Space dust swirled around her and then exploded into little beams of multicolored light. She felt her perspective shift and her muscles relax. If she let her mind float freely without restraint, it felt as though she was riding a rollercoaster. In terms of relaxation, she felt as though she could not sink any lower into the bed without melting into a human puddle. At the same time, however, she felt adrenaline surging through her veins. She wanted to  get up and clean the room as Maru had suggested. She liked performing home maintenance when she got particularly stoned. It was a nice little reminder that she had a place to call home. (Even if that place happened to be temporary and/or someone else’s bedroom.) She remembered her healing rib and decided against springing up and seizing the feather duster, but she remembered her offer to help Penny clean her trailer and she wiggled a bit in giddy anticipation.

 

Penny. Ah, Penny. The very thought of her made butterflies flutter in Julie’s stomach. Her fiery red hair, her pale ivory skin, the way her figure curved and flowed. As Julie listened to the music, her mind’s eye took her back to Saturday morning. Julie’s cheeks flushed. How far would that have gone if Maru not accidentally intervened? How far did Julie even want it to go? (She could think of several different answers to that question, but that was neither here nor there) Was she emotionally prepared for romantic entanglements? She wanted to think so, but she wasn’t sure. It had been a long time.

 

The music continued for some time, and the girls lay there in silence, listening. A steady drumming beat against the back if Julie’s eyes. She nodded her head up and down vaguely in time to the music and listened to Maru occasionally giggling to herself as she jotted things down in a little notepad she’d scavenged from the nightstand. She liked Maru’s laugh. It was unrestrained and vibrant, and it was always nice to see a scientist giggle.

 

Thoughts of snake-men drifted nearby, but Julie felt no fear. She was too high for such things. She felt herself lying in bed, but her mind was a million miles away. Maru’s laughter and the occasional scratching of the notepad kept Julie anchored to reality while her mind went on a rollercoaster ride through the cosmos. Her breathing slowed as she slipped into a quasi-meditative state. She could just barely hear the ambience of Maru’s bedroom, but her mental faculties were loose and adrift. She let her brain relax and she rode the mental wave back and forth. Images and sound whirled by at breakneck pace. Iosefka’s sickroom, the burning pyres littering the streets of Yharnam, the natural beauty of the Valley, the crash of the thunder outside Maru’s house, the howl of the Wendigo, Penny’s voice, soft and sweet. It all would have overwhelmed her when she’d first began her journey. Now that she knew what true madness was, the idea of a ‘drug’ trip seemed morbidly novel.

Julie opened her eyes. She sat up a bit, clearing her throat and her mind. How long had she been sitting there thinking?

 

She really must remember to thank Sebastian before she left.

 

Distant hissing still haunted her mind, bringing her mind back to the beasts that plagued her nightmares. Surely nothing like that could come to Pelican Town. Right? She felt herself shudder ever so slightly at the thought of it. If she encountered them again, she didn’t know what she would do. She proclaimed herself to be a monster hunter, but when she’d seen those glittering green eyes for the first time in her bid to reach Byrgenwerth, she’d dropped her torch and fled blindly into the forest, sword undrawn. It wasn’t something she remembered fondly.

 

She took a deep breath and exhaled, trying to tune out the intrusive thoughts of encroaching reptilian doom. She had two choices right now. She could lose her head and let the trip take her away to places less pleasant, or she could reach out. The second was much harder.

 

She tried to speak, but her throat was  dry as a bone. She tried to sit up, but her ribs reminded her that such things were beyond her power at the moment. She felt her mania beginning to turn to panic. But now was not the time to panic.

 

Instead, she reached out a hand and felt another slip into it. The warmth of human contact spread up her arm and into her chest, filling her with a dreamy calm. It was soothing. She took another breath. She wasn’t lost in the woods anymore. She was here, with a friend, in a house full of people who knew her name. Fuck those snakes.

 

She almost wanted to cry. She might, later. When Maru was asleep.

 

After a while, Julie heard Maru speaking, but she couldn’t make out what she was saying. She tried to tune in, but the only thing she could make out was her own name. Perhaps she had bitten off more infused brownie than she could chew.

 

‘Words’, she thought. ‘I must speak words.’

 

No small feat, as even now the blanket felt as though it was getting heavier and heavier, pinning her in place with a woolen fist.

 

“Mm-hm.”

 

She mumbled, hoping that was an appropriate response to whatever Maru was talking about.

 

“What do you think?”

 

Curses.

 

“Erm… I got to tell you, I have no idea what you were saying.”

 

“Oh that’s alright, I’ve mostly been talking to myself. I need to remember to keep the side paneling on the under-chassis of my drone camera securely bolted down during flight, because hoo-boy did I have  trouble finding it the first time I took it for a test flight! Anyway, I'm rambling, how are you? Are you good? That stuff is something else, man. I feel like I’m talking a lot. Am I talking a lot?”

 

Julie smiled, if a bit shakily.

 

“You’re doing just fine, sweetie. I didn’t understand a lot of that, but I like your enthusiasm!”

 

“Thanks! I gotta say, I’ve got a lot of synapses firing right now. But boy howdy is it difficult to remember some of these ideas. I’d only thought of writing notes down after the first hour.”

 

“It’s been an hour?”

 

“More like an hour and a half, but yeah. The CD is just about over, I’ll put in a new one. Did you like that style?”

 

“It was lovely.”

 

“I’m glad to hear it! I’ve always preferred instrumentals. They make for great inspiration.”

 

“Couldn’t agree more.”

 

The next CD began to play, and Julie found herself swept away by a jazz number that soothed her agitated mind. She waited for Maru to settle back into her nest before offering her hand again. Maru took it gladly and scooted closer to the bed so that when she sat up she could lean her head on Julie’s non-bandaged arm.

 

They sat there like that for some time, and Julie had to admit that she was enjoying the moment quite a bit. Perhaps too much, she thought. Maru was very attractive, and the way she laughed made Julie smile. That made things more difficult. Julie already knew that in the event of anything starting with Penny, a talk was going to be necessary to explain Julie’s less traditional take on relationships.  That much, she was prepared for. However, that conversation also including another person right off the bat had a tendency to complicate matters. Polyamory was strange sailing at times.

 

She shook her head a bit to clear it. It was still too early to be thinking of such things. But she had a feeling. And quite a feeling it was.

 

Julie had never really adjusted to the notion that other people could conceivably find her attractive, so the idea of being involved in a proper polyamorous relationship had once seemed a pipe dream. However, her last relationship, tragically brief as it was, had shown her that it was possible to go about such things in a healthy fashion. She just had a lot of conversations to have.

 

However, as she thought about it, she tempered any giddiness surrounding the whole affair with the knowledge that sometimes the poly issue was a deal-breaker for people. Some people were open to the notion of sharing their partner, while others were staunchly opposed. Both schools of thought were valid, but one would do well to talk such things out prior to beginning the wooing process, and if Julie was to make any healthy headway, it was a conversation best had sooner rather than later. In truth, Julie could almost see Maru going for it. Penny was slightly harder to peg down, but she had the faintest glimmer of hope. And all of this was assuming that she was picking up on their signals correctly, which she almost never trusted herself to do. If Penny and/or Maru had reservations, then Julie wouldn’t push the issue. If they didn’t...Well, it was a nice thought. Summer was closing in fast, and she absolutely loved the idea of spending more time with Penny and Maru out in the sun. That sounded nice. Get some sun, see the ocean at last, let things progress naturally.

 

Perhaps she was overthinking things. Perhaps it was the pot. Perhaps there was actually something there. In any case, Julie would find out in due time. She didn’t mind being patient. In any case, now wasn't the time to discuss it. Now was the time to sit and enjoy each other’s company, for however long the moment lasted.

 

After another half an hour of sitting and listening to music, Maru stood up, yawned, and strode over to her dresser to get changed for bed. Julie made an attempt to look away for politeness’ sake, but she caught an eyeful all the same. Not that she was uncomfortable with nudity, mind you. She’d been young and into witchcraft once, and nothing raised the spirits like a good old-fashioned naked moonlight dance. However, she didn’t need Maru to see her reddening cheeks, and so she became intensely interested in the fluffing of her pillow.

 

“You know, you don’t have to be so shy. I’ve been helping you get dressed for almost a week now.”

 

“I know, I know, I just- Well- The thing is-”

 

She trailed off, mumbling. Maru pulled on a tanktop and a pair of pajama shorts and sauntered across the room.

 

“The thing is?”

 

She got very close to Julie. Julie gulped and took a sip of the lukewarm cola on the nightstand.

 

“You’re very pretty.”

 

Julie said it. Not eloquently, but she said  it. So much for keeping things uncomplicated.

 

Maru blushed and put a hand over her mouth.

 

“You’re so sweet.”

 

“Well… I don’t know. I feel kind of bad.”

 

Maru’s face fell a bit and she leaned back.

 

“Because of Penny?”

 

“Yeah… Because of Penny. We’re not… A thing, or anything like that yet, and that’s going to be up to her, but I like her. And to be honest, I like you too. You’ve both been fantastic friends and you’ve really made me feel at home here in Pelican Town. I would have been shut up in a cabin all season if you two hadn’t come into my life. I just…”

 

“Need to talk to Penny first.”

 

Maru finished her thought for her.

 

“Exactly. I hope you understand.”

 

Maru nodded.

 

“I do. And I hope I haven’t been coming on strong.”

 

“I don’t think so, but of course I don’t mind.”

 

Maru laughed and settled onto the mattress next to Julie. Julie slowly and carefully scooted her pillow prop over to the side of the bed that faced the wall so that they could sit side by side.

 

Maru yawned and leaned back a bit, resting her head on the wall. After a moment’s deliberation, Julie laid her own head down on Maru’s shoulder, nuzzling into the crook of her neck.

 

“Is this okay?” 

 

She asked. Maru nodded, her eyes closing and a contented smile spreading across her face.

 

“I wouldn’t mind falling asleep just like this.”

 

“By all means, be my guest. You make a lovely pillow.”

 

Maru mumbled something she didn’t catch. Julie didn’t mind. A thick fog had settled over her mind and she was beyond ready to sleep. She closed her eyes and laced her fingers with Maru’s once again before  falling into a deep and astonishingly peaceful sleep.

 

Things were unfolding in a very interesting fashion indeed.


	10. Telephone Line

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Julie spends her last night at Maru's.

Julie awoke sometime around two in the afternoon the next day. Groggily, she opened her eyes. She could still feel a bit of a residual intoxication, but she knew it would pass soon enough. As she began to wake up, she became aware of a great stiffness in her limbs, and her neck strained a bit in protest as she attempted to sit up while simultaneously gently detangling her arms from Maru’s. As she came slowly up and away from the warmth of her spot, she shivered and briefly debated just leaning back and enjoying the human contact a bit longer. Alas, her bladder reminded her that such luxuries were beyond her means. Time to get up and shamble to the bathroom. Julie’s injuries were healing, and she could now more or less get around by herself as long as she didn’t move too fast.

 

After a long and stiff-legged walk to and from the lavatory, Julie made her way quietly through the bedroom door.

 

Two plates of pancakes and bacon sat steaming on Maru’s desk. Robin must have been in.

 

The smell of the food was maddening, and Julie’s stomach growled with such ferocity that she briefly worried it might wake Maru. She crept quietly across the room, picked up a plate, and made her way back to the bed.

 

She perched herself on the end of the bed so she wouldn’t wake Maru, who had keeled over sideways In Julie’s absence. Julie carefully rearranged the blankets so they were covering her properly and then went about eating her breakfast.

 

The food was delicious, and she wolfed it down with gusto. The pancakes were light and fluffy and the bacon was crispy around the edges. She felt at ease,  and she sat there for some time in silence, eating. Hot food never failed to improve Julie’s spirits. She was starving, but did her best to eat quietly.

 

A short time after she finished her food, Maru sat up and yawned, stretching her arms over her head as she did so.

 

“Morning!”

 

Julie said brightly through a mouthful of food.

 

Maru yawned again and gave Julie a bleary-eyed smile.

 

“Good morning yourself. Last night was something else.”

 

“How are you feeling?”

 

“A little sluggish, but it’s nothing a cup of coffee can’t cure.”

 

“You hungry?”

 

“Starving. Is there food?”

 

“Yeah, your mom brought some in. It’s on your desk.”

 

Maru stretched again and hopped off the bed, making her way across the room to the pancakes. She began to eat them while still standing, not even bothering to cut a piece off first. She merely stabbed the  fluffy stacks with her fork and lifted a whole flapjack to her mouth in order to take a bite out of it. Julie was glad that she wasn’t the only one who felt ravenous.

 

When Maru had satisfied her rumbling stomach, the two women opened the bedroom door and crept to the kitchen to make coffee. They passed Robin on the way, and she gave the two of them a look that suggested she knew exactly what had transpired. If she knew, however, she said nothing. Instead, she handed the two of them each a steaming mug.

 

“Robin, you are a gift from the Goddess.”

 

“You know, I hadn’t pegged you as religious. If I may ask, which Goddess?”

 

Julie froze.

 

“Erm… The moon?”

 

Robin’s expression brightened.

 

“Oh, that’s nice! We’re a Yoba-fearing household, so you’ll get no trouble from us. Live and let live, right?”

 

Julie smiled an exhaled, relieved.

 

“I appreciate it. It’s not something I usually talk to people about, but you seem like good people.

 

Julie sipped her coffee. She’d only been back on the stuff for a short while, but caffeine addiction had already set in.  All season, she’d been scavenging and scrounging for foragable goods to either eat herself or sell to Pierre at the general store to scrape together enough gold to buy coffee and rice.  As she took her first hot, bitter sip from the mug in her hand, the headache throbbing behind her eyes lessened its grip and she felt a jolt of electricity run through her body. She was awake now.

 

“Well, we certainly like to think so! Thank you, Julie. Just so you know, you’re always welcome in our home, monster wounds or no.”

 

Julie felt a lump in the back of her throat.

 

“Thank you. It means a lot to me.”

 

“And hey, it’s good to see you able to walk on your own! We all felt just awful that you got hurt out there, especially while protecting us. I suppose that’s the job of a monster hunter, but I still feel as though I owe you a debt of gratitude.”

 

Julie’s eyebrows raised and she quickly held her hands up in front of her, almost spilling her coffee.

 

“That’s not necessary, really.”

 

Robin gave her a look that suggested arguing was futile.

 

“Nonsense! I’ll tell you what. How about I take a look at that shack of yours, see if I can’t fix it up nice for you?”

 

Julie had another ‘I’m happy to help’ speech prepared, but Robin’s offer made her fall silent. The offer was incredibly tempting. Robin was a master carpenter, and she could use a roof that didn’t leak. And a door that shut. And a toilet. She thought it over for a second and then looked back at Robin.

 

“That sounds amazing, but I can’t let you do it without paying you.”

 

“You drive a hard bargain, you know that? Fine, if you insist. I’ll consider it a full upgrade and you can pay me back later.”

 

“That sounds amazing. How much are we talking, here?”

 

“Since you’re a friend and all, I think I’ll call 4,000 gold sufficient. It’ll be enough to pay for the lumber and stone and the labor itself, while still being around half what I normally charge. That’s my offer.”

 

Julie thought it over another moment.

 

“Alright. Bargain struck.”

 

She extended a hand, and Robin did the same. They shook on it, then Robin went to her desk to write down the details of the new project, leaving Julie and Maru standing in the hallway.

 

The day passed fairly quickly, in part due to the fact that Julie had slept in until two in the afternoon. A few hours after they woke up, Maru jumped to her feet with an ‘Oh!’ and went to the lobby to make a phone call to Doctor Harvey. Julie could hear in the distance, asking if he could come in to examine Julie. When she returned, still holding the cordless landline phone, she informed Julie that he had agreed,saying that he could be by around noon the next day. 

 

“Great!” 

 

Julie was sitting up in bed, the pain in her ribs now more of a soreness than a stabbing.

 

“Why did  you bring the phone?”

 

Maru set the device down on the side table. Julie found herself momentarily distracted by it. It was a phone with a  small nub of cord protruding from the end. The cord had been clipped and capped with a small device that blinked. No doubt one of Maru’s gadgets. A do-it-yourself wireless phone? Neat.

 

“Because you have a call to make.”

 

“I do?”

 

“You do!”

 

She pointed to the list of numbers written neatly on a little card attached to the phone, and at the bottom was Penny’s.

 

“Oh.”

 

“If Harvey clears you to leave tomorrow, we want to be sure your escort is ready, don’t we?”

 

Julie blushed a bit.

 

“I suppose you’re right.”

 

She picked up the phone like one might a venomous snake and carefully dialed in the surprisingly short number. She’d always been anxious on the phone, but calling someone she had feelings for was  something she’d never actually had to do before. Still, there was a first time for everything, she thought to herself.

 

After a few rings, a much crankier voice than she was expecting answered.

 

“Yeah, whaddya want?”

 

This took Julie by surprise.

 

“Um… I was-”

 

The voice cut her off.

 

“Listen, buddy, I’ve told you a million times: I don’t have yer damn money. I’ll pay the bill when I can, and until then you assholes can stop calling me!”

 

Julie sensed that a hang-up was imminent and spoke quickly before the voice (which Julie presumed to belong to Penny’s mother) could end the call.

 

“Is Penny available?”

 

The voice didn’t respond for a moment. When it did, it was much quieter, though still every bit as curt.

 

“Who’s asking?”

 

“My name is Julie, I’m a friend of Penny’s. I’m calling from Maru’s house.”

 

“Hi, Pam!” 

 

Maru said, cupping her hands around her mouth.

 

When the voice spoke again, it was much softer.

 

“Oh. Well, why didn’t you say so?”

 

There was a brief pause and then Julie heard Pam yell away from the phone.

 

“Pen, you’ve got a call! Someone named Julie.”

 

From the other end came the sound of scrambling and dishes clattering. After a few seconds, Penny picked up, sounding slightly out of breath.

 

“Julie! Hi! I wasn’t expecting a call, but it’s lovely to hear from you!”

 

Julie felt a foolish grin spreading on her face.

 

“Are you still at Maru’s?”

 

Julie nodded, despite the fact that Penny couldn’t see her.

 

“Yep! She’s right here, actually.”

 

“Hey, Penny!”

 

“Hi again!”

 

Penny cleared her throat and asked:

 

“To what do I owe the pleasure?”

 

“Well, Doc Harvey is coming by tomorrow to check my ribs and hopefully clear me to be out and about. Would you still like to be my escort for the trip home?”

 

“Of course! When should I be over?”

 

Even through the phone, Julie could hear the excitement bubbling in her voice. It did wonders for Julie’s anxiety. It was very hard to resist being cheerful when Penny was excited about something.

 

“Well Harvey should be here at noon, so maybe around one-ish?”

 

“I can do that!”

 

“Great!”

 

“Erm, I can’t talk long. I still have dishes to finish. But I’m looking forward to tomorrow!”

 

“As am I.”

 

Penny giggled.

 

“Well I guess I’ll let you go, but it was nice hearing from you!”

 

“It was nice talking to you, too. See you tomorrow!”

 

Another giggle.

 

“See ya!”

 

Julie hung up the phone to find Maru looking at her with eyebrows a-waggling like they might fly off any second. Julie blushed a bit and handed her the phone.

 

The rest of the evening passed in a blur. One moment she was chatting with Robin while she worked on a carpentry project, another she was hanging around with Maru in the kitchen while Demetrius cooked dinner. Julie even caught a brief glimpse of Sebastian when he slunk out of his room to retrieve his plate of stir-fry. By the time night had set in proper, Julie was lounging in the blanket nest in Maru’s room while Maru explained the inner workings of the new gadgets she was working on. Julie wasn’t really following along all that well, but it was nice to listen to Maru speak. Somewhere around the rewiring of the main bypass circuit or somesuch, Julie drifted off.

 

She found herself sitting on her porch, a good many years into the future. Rocking in a chair (one of three that sat outside) and occasionally taking a puff from her pipe. She was old, and the grey in her hair was now natural. The shack was no longer a shack, but a two-story house with a garden out front. A fishing rod stood propped up next to Julie’s chair, and she picked it up to prepare a cast. She could even see a small field with some kind of leafy green crops plated. Everything looked right out of a storybook.

 

Julie picked up the fishing rod and gave it a cast. The line flew to the water and bobbed for a few seconds before disappearing under the surface. Julie pulled and pulled and at last drew a thrashing salmon from the river.

 

A pretty sight, indeed. And one that seemed almost ill-fitting for a career beast hunter. But the scene was so clear, so vivid, so… right, that Julie felt an almost painful sense of longing. Was this possible? She was dreaming, she was sure of it, but everything seemed so perfect. So real.

 

She heard someone speaking from inside the house. A voice called out her name. But whose was it? The more she tried to concentrate, the more the dream began to swim. It was coming from inside the house, and it beckoned her so sweetly that she stood up on her aching bones and made her way to the door. She could feel warmth and comfort practically radiating from the place. This was where she belonged. She felt an incredible need to see what was beyond that door. Her fingers trembled as they closed around the doorknob.

 

Julie woke up around four in the morning.


	11. Take the Long Way Home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Julie departs from Maru's house at last and spends some quality time with Penny.

She lay there a long time, unsure what to think. The dream had seemed so real, and yet so ethereal. Was it just wishful thinking? Probably, but it didn’t stop Julie from reflecting on how desperately she craved a home of her own. And who had been in the house? Did she have a partner? Who? Why couldn’t she see them in the dream?

 

All of it swirled around her head and she felt an overwhelming sense of loss. It was a dream. It was all a dream. She knew as well as anyone that Hunters seldom received a happy ending.

 

She wanted to reach out for someone, but Maru was fast asleep on the floor, curled up into a ball among the blankets and pillows. She felt her chest beginning to tighten. She was alone. As she always wound up, a voice in her mind told her.  As she always would be. Alone.

 

She began to cry noiselessly, her shoulders shaking and her breath coming in hitched gasps that she had to struggle to keep silent. She wasn’t even entirely sure why she sobbed as bitterly as she did. Perhaps seeing herself at home and happy was more than her vagabond’s spirit could take. Perhaps it was the knowledge that most hunters met their ends violently. Perhaps she just wished it could have lasted a bit longer. In any case, she lay there for some time just letting everything out. 

 

She lay awake for a long time, slowly watching the room fade from pitch darkness to a somber early morning grey. She found herself looking around the room, not really seeing. Just passing the time.

 

She tried several times to sleep, but the memory of the dream was almost more than she could bear. Between that and the fear of whatever nightmares may take the dream’s place, Julie just stayed awake, silently keeping vigil as the room lightened around her. She listened to the crickets outside and Maru’s steady breathing, the only breaches of the silence that hung over the house.

 

A little after dawn, Julie crept out of bed and made her way to the bathroom for a shower. She wanted to get one more in before she returned to her shack and its lack of facilities. She stood there in her tiled sanctuary, thinking about nothing in particular and letting the hot water cascade down over her.

 

With her hair washed and her remaining wounds cleaned, Julie cautiously crept to the kitchen. She could hear someone moving around in the front and she assumed that Demetrius was already in his lab. However, as she made her way into the kitchen, she almost ran into Robin as she poured herself a cup of coffee.

 

“Well good morning.” Robin said, somewhat surprised to see Julie up so early.

 

“Morning.” Julie replied, trying not to sound like she’d been up for several hours.

 

“Trouble sleeping?”

 

“Yeah, I guess you could say that.”

 

“Well I’m heading out in a little bit. I have something to finish before this afternoon. But feel free to fix yourself breakfast, if you like! There’s eggs and bacon in the fridge, as well as pancake and biscuit mix  in  the cupboard. Knock yourself out.”

 

“That’s very kind of you.” Julie responded. She didn’t necessarily like the idea of going through someone else’s kitchen, but after a moment’s thought, she turned back to Robin and asked:

 

“What does Maru usually like for breakfast?’

 

It was an innocent enough question, but Robin still gave her a knowing smile.

 

“She likes biscuits and bacon, both just a bit crispy. And her favorite fruit is strawberry. We have some in the fridge as well.”

 

Julie felt the room heating up and she gave her collar a nervous tug.

 

“Thanks. I wanted to say thank you for her sharing her space with me.”

 

“That’s sweet of you. I’m sure she’ll love it.” Robin’s watch beeped. “Well, that’s my cue. It was nice talking to you, Julie! If I don’t see you before you leave, it was lovely having you as a houseguest.”

 

“I’m kind of sad to go. Thank you for having me!”

 

“Of course. I have a feeling we’ll see you again soon anyway.” She gave Julie a wink and put on her coat, preparing to leave. Julie said goodbye and tasked herself with fixing breakfast.

 

The biscuits came out well enough, but the bacon was a little too crispy. Julie found herself taking pride in her work regardless. She’d never been much of a cook, but she relished every chance she got to fix food for herself or someone else.

 

Maru woke up soon after Julie set the plates down in the room. By the time Julie had returned with coffee for the two of them, Maru was up and in the process of getting dressed.

 

“Morning, sunshine.” Maru said with a yawn. “It’s good to see you up and walking around.”

 

“It feels good. I’m still stiff and sore, but I can finally sit down without feeling like I’m being stabbed, so I’m calling it a win.”

 

“I admire your optimism!” she sniffed, and her attention was immediately drawn to the food.

 

“Do I smell biscuits?”

 

Julie laughed and nodded. “I also got you some strawberries. Enjoy!”

 

Maru looked from the food to the coffee mugs still in Julie’s hands to Julie herself before striding across the room and planting a kiss on Julie’s cheek.

 

Julie felt herself flush with color as she almost dropped a mug.

 

“You are such a sweetheart.” Maru said, taking a mug from Julie and beaming at her a moment. “Thank you for cooking. You didn’t have to do all this while you’re still hurt.”

 

“Hey, you’ve been catering to me all week. I just wanted to return the favor.”

 

Maru seemed satisfied with this answer, and the two set upon their breakfasts like hounds.

 

They spent the morning watching a film about talking sheep, and by the time it had ended, it was only a short while before a knock sounded at the door. Maru left the room and returned presently with Harvey in tow. He came into the room and instructed Julie to sit at the edge of the bed. He performed a routine examination, paying close attention to her damaged ribs. This one proved thankfully jab-free, but Harvey did take the time to warn her that any strenuous activity was liable to aggravate the injury quite a bit.

 

After the examination was over, Harvey asked her to get up and walk around the room a few times. After proving that she could walk back and forth without stumbling, Julie rolled up her sleeves to show that the claw marks and bruises were healing.

 

“I suppose everything checks out. Come by for a check-in in about two weeks, and until then don’t do anything to strenuous. Do you have anyone at home who can help you if something happens?”

 

Julie felt a pang in her chest as she remembered her dream.

 

“No, no I don’t. I live alone.”

 

“Well, that’s unfortunate for someone in your position, but you should be okay so long as you don’t try to do any heavy lifting. Do you have any questions?”

 

“No, I think I’m good.”

 

“Alrighty then. If you’ll excuse me, I need to go sort through a few files back at the clinic. Have a nice day.”

 

And just like that, the doctor was out the door.

 

“That was surprisingly painless.” Julie said to Maru.

 

“Do you feel like you’re up to walking home?” Julie thought of Penny, and how excited she’d been.

 

“I’m positive. I could use some fresh air after being in bed for a week.”

 

“I can imagine! And you’ll have pleasant company, besides.” She gave Julie a very similar look to the one she’d gotten from Robin earlier that same day.

 

“That I will! I’m looking forward to it. I haven’t gotten much of a chance to spend one-on-one time with her yet.”

 

Maru smiled at Julie and gave her shoulder a reassuring squeeze.

 

“I’m sure it’ll go fantastically. And don’t be nervous! She’s just as excited about spending some quality time as you are. Maybe even more so.”

 

“I don’t know about-”

 

“I do. And she is. Trust me.”

 

“Alright, alright, I suppose you’ve made your point.”

 

“You know I can see you blushing.”

 

“Oi, none of that.”

 

Maru burst out laughing. She regained control of herself and looked Julie in the eyes. “And, hey… I’ve really enjoyed spending time with you, myself.”

 

Maybe it was just how close they were standing, but Julie felt a hand brush against hers, ever so softly. She recognized the look in Maru’s eyes-- admiration with just a tinge of sadness. It was a look she often wore herself.

 

“I’ve enjoyed it too, sweetie. I don’t know how things will go with Penny, but I can tell you that no matter what, it won’t come between our friendship. Or yours.”

 

“Thank you. That’s good to hear.”

 

Just then, there was a knock at the front door.

 

“I’ll get it.”

 

Maru fixed Julie with one more long look before disappearing into the hall and reappearing soon after with Penny behind her.

 

“Good afternoon! Feeling better, I hope?” Penny asked brightly. She was dressed in a green polo shirt and jeans, and Julie noticed that she’d done her hair. It looked freshly curled, and Penny fidgeted with it as she stood by the doorway.

 

“Much better, thank you. I like what you’ve done with your hair!”

 

Penny seemed to appreciate that. The fidgeting died down somewhat.

 

“Why thank you! I wasn’t sure anyone would notice, but I wanted to look nice for- Ahem, I wanted to look nice today.” She stopped and corrected herself mid-sentence, but Julie understood. Maru gave her an eyebrow so raised it threatened to vanish into her hairline.

 

“Well I love the way it frames your face. You look lovely, as always.” She tried to say it confidently, but it came out quieter than she intended. Penny put a hand to her mouth and her cheeks reddened visibly. Julie’s cheeks decided now was a good time to do the same, and they just stood there a moment, looking at each other and waiting for the other to say something. 

 

“You really are too kind.” Penny said, looking away in some combination of pleasure and embarrassment.

 

From behind Penny, Maru looked to be physically restraining herself from ‘Awww’-ing out loud. Instead, she cupped a hand to her mouth and quietly whispered: “gay.”

 

Julie recomposed herself and fixed Penny with an adventurer’s smile. “So! Shall we set out? I’m really looking forward to getting out and stretching my legs.”

 

Penny nodded. “Sure!”

 

They began navigating towards the door, when Maru stopped and smacked a hand to her forehead.

 

“That’s what I’m forgetting! Penny, we washed your shirt, let me get it for you.”

 

It was an innocuous enough statement, but she said it in such a way that made it very obvious she was making up an excuse.

 

“Oh, right! My shirt. Of course. I’ll go with you.”

 

They were both terrible actors.

 

After the two made their way into Maru’s room and conspicuously shut the door, Julie was left standing in the hallway alone. She began to pace toward the lobby so she wouldn’t be eavesdropping. It was then she heard the ominous creak from the basement door.

 

On instinct, Julie spun around in a somewhat painful fashion, only to be greeted by Sebastian. “Oh. Sup. You’re still here.”

 

He was a man of few words.

 

“Indeed I am. For a few more minutes at least.” He nodded, and she almost expected him to just shut the door again. But after a few seconds of prolonged awkward silence, he spoke again.

 

“Did you try the brownie?”

 

“Yeah, I did. Not bad, maybe a little strong.” Julie felt a lightbulb click on in her head. “Oh, that reminds me.” She took a few steps down toward the basement (which was apparently Sebastian’s bedroom) door so her voice wouldn’t echo. “Where do you guys get your stuff?”

 

Sebastian looked hesitant, but after a moment, she leaned forward and said, “Go to Pierre's an hour before closing. Make sure no-one’s around. Tell him you want to stock up on kale seeds for the summer. He’ll know what you mean.”

 

“You’re serious?” His expression could not have possibly been more blank. “I see. And I’m not just gonna get a bunch of kale seeds for my trouble?”

 

“Nah. Kale’s out of season during the summer, and we’ve only got a few more days of Spring.” Julie still couldn’t tell if he was joking. His expression (or lack thereof) made it hard to tell.

 

“Well, thanks. I’ll have to check that out.”

 

Just then, Julie heard a door open. Maru and Penny had returned. “-I will, I will!” Penny was saying. Maru only chuckled in a self-satisfied manner.

 

“Later.” She heard Sebastian say from behind her. The door shut.

 

Julie climbed the few steps she’d come down to talk to Sebastian and greeted the girls in the lobby. “Ready to go?” Julie asked Penny.

 

“Ready whenever you are!”

 

Maru opened the door for them and sunlight blazed into the room. Julie was blind for a fair few seconds before her eyes began to adjust to the dazzling light. As they did, she saw it was a mostly clear blue afternoon. A few solitary white clouds dotted the sky, and a gentle breeze rolled them ever so slowly across the horizon. Julie took a deep breath, inhaling the clean mountain air. She felt invigorated.

 

She took a few steps forward, then turned around and wrapped Maru in a hug. She seemed a bit surprised, but she returned it warmly, squeezing gently to avoid hurting Julie’s ribs. “Take care, okay? I’ll probably come and visit one of these days when I’m off from the clinic.”

 

“Can do. Thank you for everything, sweetie. And feel free! I’d love some company. That shack gets awful lonely.” Julie looked back and forth between Maru and Penny, not even trying to be subtle. Maru just smiled back.

 

“You two take care. And enjoy your walk!”

 

Penny and Maru embraced briefly, and then Maru wrapped Julie in a hug of her own. Somewhere in the house, Demetrius called for Maru. Maru bid them goodbye, gave Julie a parting wink, and shut the door.  She looked Penny in the eye.

 

“Shall we press on?” Penny asked.

 

“I’d love to.” Julie replied.

 

After a moment’s hesitation, Julie offered her hand, and Penny took it with a giggle. “Do you want to take the shortcut or the long way around?”

 

Julie visibly pondered a moment. It was probably a better idea to use the shortcut, but it was such a beautiful afternoon. A gentle breeze blew threw, sending wispy strands of Julie’s hair fluttering in the breeze.

 

“Let’s take the long way. Stroll through town. See the sights.”

 

Penny squeezed her hand. “You read my mind.”

 

They set off to the south, heading down the road that led to town. They moved at a slow pace to accommodate Julie’s injuries, but Julie hardly noticed how long the trip took. She was caught up in conversation with Penny, who was eager to hear Julie’s thoughts on the books she had borrowed. Julie did her best to keep up, occasionally just going quiet and letting Penny go on about theories related to the plot. Julie enjoyed observing people, and Penny was profoundly difficult to ignore. Her hair blazed like fire in the sun and stood out against the dark shade of green on her shirt. Every so often the breeze would blow her bangs into her eyes and she’d shake her head to move them. Julie half expected sparks to fly.

 

They wound their way down the road, bidding good day to Linus as they passed him. He didn’t respond verbally, but looked up from his berry picking long enough to give Julie a look of gratitude. She nodded in response, and they moved on.

 

As the back of Pierre’s General Store appeared just down the hill a ways, Julie became aware of a large structure near the path that she hadn’t noticed before. It was half-hidden by trees and shrubbery, but Julie could see a pathway leading up to a building of redwood. Its tiled roof was overgrown with ivy, and vines trailed their way down the side of the building. It looked derelict, but something about it caught Julie’s attention. Why hadn’t she noticed it before?

 

“Hey, what’s that?” Julie asked, pointing with her free hand. Penny looked over to the building and shuddered.

 

“That’s the old Community Center. It hasn’t seen use in years, not since JoJaMart came into town. According to my mom, they couldn’t pay to keep the old place in repair. A lot of the town’s infrastructure kind of went to pieces after that. The minecarts, the bridge, the bus… It’s a shame, I hear it used to be a really nice little place. There was even an arts and crafts room! Vincent and Jas would love something like that. In its current state though? It gives me the heebie-jeebies, to be honest.”

 

“Not a fan of creaky old buildings?” Julie asked, thinking vaguely of her shack.

 

“Well, it’s not just that… I don’t mind that it’s old, I just… Nevermind.”

 

“What is it?”

 

“You’ll think I’m silly.

 

“Try me.”

 

“Well… I think it might be haunted.”

 

That caught Julie’s attention. 

 

“What makes you say that?”

 

“I don’t know, I just feel something watching me when I stand out here too long. And some folks in town say it might be cursed.”

 

“Cursed? By who?”

 

“I’m not sure it’s a ‘who’ at all. I think it’s a ‘what’. Something that didn’t like JoJaMart, maybe?”

 

“JojaMart? Why, did something happen?”

 

“Well… Not necessarily.” Penny lowered her voice in a conspiratorial fashion. “But have you been to JojaMart lately? The place is like a ghost town. The only employees that didn’t leave or quit are Marnie’s nephew Shane and that poor girl who works the cash register. But no-one’s heard from the manager in weeks. I even went in myself a while ago to apply for a job, and they told me that the manager is on a leave of absence.”

 

“I haven’t actually seen this JojaMart before.”

 

Penny’s nose wrinkled. 

 

“Count yourself lucky. It’s out on the edge of town, by the quarry. They came into town a few years ago and they’ve been needling at Mayor Lewis to sell them the land that the Community Center stands on. Rumor is, he was ready to cave and went to Mr. Morris to strike a deal, but he had already disappeared. After that, most folks have avoided both places. My mom still shops at JojaMart because their prices are lower than the general store’s, but she’s one of the only ones. People around here are a little superstitious.”

 

Julie pondered the wealth of information she’d just been given. Something was tugging at the back of her mind, but she couldn’t quite place what. Still, it was obvious that the place had Penny a bit spooked, so Julie gave her hand a squeeze and began walking away from the building. She would investigate on her own time.

 

When they arrived in the town square, it was busy and bustling. Jodi and Caroline stood outside the general store, chatting. Abigail lingered nearby, her attention intensely focused on a passing cloud. Evelyn and George were a short distance away, George in his wheelchair and Evelyn tending to the community gardens. Vincent stood next to his mother, and began waving as soon as he saw Penny.

 

“Miss Penny! Miss Penny!” Penny laughed and waved back. The two of them meandered over and exchanged greetings with everyone.

 

“Why if it isn’t Penny and Julie!” Jodi said. “It’s nice to see you!

 

“Likewise!” Julie replied.

 

“We haven’t seen much of  you recently,” Caroline said. “Out monster hunting?”

 

She said it as a joke, but Julie simply nodded. 

 

“As a matter of fact, yes. Well, sort of. I went on a single hunt and wound up needing bedrest for a week. I’m not really a great monster hunter, if you ask me.”

 

“Oh, my! Are you alright, dear?”

 

“I’m fine, just got a bit bruised up.”

 

“What kind of monster did you fight?” Cried Vincent and Abigail almost in unison.

 

“Erm…” Julie hesitated. She didn’t want to scare Vincent. Or Jodi and Caroline, for that matter.”

 

“Oh, it turned out to just be an unusually large rat. I didn’t think they existed, but that shows you what I know.”

 

Jodi gave Julie a thankful look, while Abigail had her eyes trained on Julie like she knew she was bullshitting. Julie caught her eye and mouthed the words ‘I’ll tell you later’. Satisfied by this, Abigail yawned and made an excuse to depart, heading off towards the bridge.

 

“Well I’m glad to see that you’re doing better.” Jodi said. “Oh, would you look at the time! I have to dash, but it was nice seeing you two!”

 

Jodi turned to Vincent, who was deep in conversation with Penny about his new pet frog, and told him it was lunchtime. The two of them said their goodbyes and made their way home. And just like that, they were alone again.

 

Suddenly, a voiced called out.

 

“Penny!”

 

Penny gasped and let go of Julie’s hand. She and Julie spun around to see a middle-aged woman with gold-brown hair and a pink jacket striding over to them. Julie vaguely recognized her as one of the Stardrop Saloon regulars.

 

“Hi, mom!” Penny said, trying to sound casual.

 

“Hello.” Julie said quietly. She waved and did not get a wave in return.

 

“What are you doing loitering in front of Pierre’s?”

 

“Oh, nothing, we were just talking to Jodi and Caroline. Vincent saw me walking and flagged me down. How is your day going?”

 

Pam looked back and forth between the two. After a moment, a look of something like smug satisfaction passed briefly across her face before disappearing into the scowl she appeared to wear constantly. “Well, it’ll be a lot better once I get something to kill this damn headache. Do you know where the painkillers went?”

 

Penny looked like she wanted to say ‘no’, but with a resigned look she said, “They’re in the junk drawer. I moved them earlier in the week to clean and I must have-”

 

“The junk drawer? What kind of sense does it make to put something like that in the junk drawer?!”

 

Pam shook her head and turned around to begin stalking back towards the trailer, muttering to herself about her daughter’s head being in the clouds. Penny visibly tensed. Pam, turning back and seeing Penny’s mortified expression, soften her expression. Pam turned around again, and said in a much softer tone, “Thanks, Pen. You two have a nice time on yer walk. And you.” She pointed to Julie. “You’re Julie, right?”

 

Julie felt her face heating.

 

“Erm, yep! That’s me.” Pam looked her up and down before glancing to Penny and shooting her a look that Julie couldn’t interpret. She looked back to Julie.

 

“Nice to meet ya, kid. The name’s Pam.”

 

With that, Pam was off again. Penny took a deep breath and exhaled through her nose. 

 

“I’m sorry about that, she’s usually in a better mood.”

 

“That’s okay, I know how parents get.” She was lying. “Would you like to continue? We’re about halfway there, I think.” Penny looked grateful that the subject wasn’t being pressed.

 

“Sure! Though you’ll have to direct me from here.”

 

“Not a problem.” Julie said with a reassuring smile. Penny’s face lifted a bit and she smiled back.

 

The two girls walked in silence for a few minutes, making their way down the sunny path leading west out of town. Julie casually slipped her hand back into Penny’s as they walked, and Julie felt her heart skip a beat every time Penny returned a squeeze or looked in her direction. They chatted a while, talking of familiar things, enjoying the solitude the lonely little road provided. Penny told her about the various festivals and holidays the townsfolk observed, and Julie listened with contentment. She only had references for a few of the things Penny mentioned (Goddess only knew what a ‘moonlight jelly’ looked like), but she had to admit that a gathering of all the townsfolk seemed really nice, if something she’d feel a bit strange intruding on.

 

Eventually they passed the bus stop with its derelict bus, the door still open.

 

Penny sighed. “My mom used to drive this bus out to the Calico Desert.”

 

“What happened?”

 

“If you can believe it, the bus just broke down one day and no-one could fix it. Ever since then, Mom’s been out of work. And when she’s out of work, she spends all her time at the Saloon.”

 

“I see. Does the town not have enough to fix it?”

 

“Well, according to Mayor Lewis, no. With JojaMart bleeding all the merchants dry, the town coffers are apparently close to empty."

 

Julie frowned. It seemed that no matter how many worlds she traversed, she would never be free of the stench of capitalism.

 

“You’d think with their manager gone, they’d close.”

 

“You would think, right? But according to talk Mom heard around the Saloon the other night, the corporate stooges that own the land are refusing to abandon it. And as long as it’s still here, people will shop there, curse or no curse.”

 

Curses… The little something pulling at her mind was now a nagging suspicion. What was she failing to put together? Penny said that the manager of the JojaMart went missing all of a sudden, but could that mean… No. Surely not.

 

“Give it a few more seasons of bad business and they might fold. You never know.” Her words sounded hollow in her own ears, but Penny gave her hand an appreciative squeeze anyway.

 

“Yeah… Even then, I imagine Mayor Lewis has more to worry about than the bus services. But it’s a nice thought.”

 

“Do you want to keep moving?”

 

“Sure. Sorry for bringing the mood down. I shouldn’t be complaining.” She cast her eyes downward. Julie took Penny’s other hand so that she was holding both.

 

“Hey. You didn’t bring anything down. Something was on your mind, and you needed to get it off your chest. I’m here to listen.”

 

“Thanks, Julie… You really are too kind.”

 

Penny looked her in the eyes and Julie could see warm appreciation in her gaze. She found herself looking longer than she meant to, getting lost in a sea of green.

 

“I try.”  Julie sad softly. Penny leaned in a little closer. Julie’s fingers interlaced with hers.

 

“You know.” Penny said. “This is a nice secluded little spot.”

 

Julie felt her face heating. “So it is.”

 

She leaned forward herself. Their faces were only inches apart, and Julie could feel Penny’s breath on her lips. Penny closed her eyes. Julie did the same.

 

**_SCREECH!_ **

 

Suddenly, a horrific screeching noise sounded from very close by as an exceptionally large hawk screamed out of the sky to snatch a field mouse. Julie drew her knife on instinct, wheeling around to keep herself between Penny and the perceived threat. Penny yelped in surprise and jerked backwards. In an instant, the bird and mouse were gone, a lone silhouette against the backdrop of the sun.

 

Julie, somewhat embarassed, tucked her knife back into it’s sheathe. Penny looked rattled but unharmed. A bird. It was just a bird.

 

“Are you alright?” Penny asked, her eyes darting from Julie’s blade to her (now flushed) face.

 

“Yeah, sorry about that. I didn’t mean to freak you out, I just don’t do so well with loud noises.”

 

Penny stepped forward and extended her arms to offer a hug. Julie accepted and let herself become wrapped up in Penny’s arms. She smelled like fresh lemon.

 

“It’s okay, I understand. No need to apologize. Is touch okay?”

 

Julie nodded and wrapped her arms around Penny’s waist. Penny spoke soft words of comfort and stroked Julie’s back gently. Julie’s heart rate slowed.

 

She hated how jumpy she had become. Despite the innocuous (and admittedly humorous) nature of the situation, Julie still felt foolish for panicking and pulling her weapon unnecessarily. And in front of Penny, no less.  Penny, at least, didn’t seem to mind.

 

Her mounting anxiety was quelled by the reaffirming embrace, and the two stood there in near silence for what felt like ages, listening to the leaves rustling in the breeze and holding each other.

 

At last, Julie pulled away, dabbing at her eyes with her sleeve. Her breathing had slowed.  “Thank you. I needed that.”

 

Penny gave her a smile and rubbed her shoulders.

 

“That’s what I’m here for. Do you want to keep walking?”

 

“Yeah, that sounds good.”

 

Soon they had left the bus stop behind, winding up the country road that led out to Julie’s property. As the connecting road came into sight, Julie could see someone coming down the road in the opposite direction.

 

It was Robin, laden with tools and blueprints. Her hands were occupied, but she stopped to say hello.

 

“Hey, girls! Lovely day, isn’t it?” 

 

Julie glanced briefly at Penny, distracted once again by the way her fiery hair reflected the midday sunlight.

 

“Loveliest I’ve seen in a while.” Julie responded.

 

“I‘m actually really glad I ran into you! I just wrapped up work on your house upgrade!”

 

“Damn, that fast?”

 

“Well, it certainly helps that the old place is small. And to be honest, I started work on it before we made our agreement. It was supposed to be a surprise, but I suppose the cat’s out of the bag anyway.”

 

“Oh. That’s incredibly kind of you. Thank you!”

 

“You are very welcome. I’ve got to head back home, but I’ll tell Maru you said hello!”

 

“Please do!” Penny and Julie said in unison. Robin chuckled and began trundling down the road again.

 

“See you at the festival next week!”

 

Festival? Next week? Penny hadn’t mentioned any kind of Spring celebration in their earlier conversation. Julie looked to Penny for clarification, but Penny was taking an intense interest in a patch of wildflowers at her feet. Before Julie could inquire, Penny reached down and plucked a yellow daffodil looking it up and down for a moment before gently reaching over and tucking it behind Julie’s ear. A cunning distraction.

 

“Oh, that looks so cute! Sorry, I just had the urge. Should we keep walking? We should keep walking.”

 

Her tone and the rapid rate at which she spoke suggested she was hesitant to talk about the matter, so Julie simply nodded and took up her hand again. Her curiosity mounted internally and she wanted to ask, but it wasn’t her place to press for information. If at some point Penny wanted to talk about it, they would talk about it then.

 

At long last, they arrived at Julie’s residence. Not a moment too soon, as Julie’s feet and ribs strained in protest of the long walk after a week of bedrest. However, all strain and soreness was forgotten as soon as the shack came into sight. It became clear that Robin had gone overboard in her project.

 

The shack now resembled an actual cabin, with clean double-pane windows and a sturdy oak door that even had a keyhole. The roof had been re-tiled and the walls had been painted. It was hard to believe that this was the same building she’d left.

 

Julie leaned on Penny for support getting up the stairs to her new porch and turned the doorknob. It was unlocked, and the door swung open to reveal a completely remodeled room. The kitchen in the corner now contained a gas cylinder that connected to the stove, as well as a small refrigerator. The floors were brand-new wood, and the hole in the ceiling had been patched. There was a small brick fireplace in the corner near the bed, and above it on a small rack was Julie’s silver blade. How had Robin done all this in just a few days?

 

“Wow.” Julie said out loud.

 

Her eyes tracked across the room to a door in the back. A back door? It seemed extraneous in a place this small. No, it had to be something else. Perhaps…

 

She strode across the room slowly and pressed on the door. It swung inward to reveal a toilet and a small cubicle shower.

 

“Robin, you magnificent bastard.” Julie whispered to herself. It was hard to believe, but she had her own bathroom!

 

“This place looks great!” Penny said enthusiastically. “It’s so homey.”

 

“It is. I can’t believe how much work Robin put into this place. I’ll have to extend my thanks properly the next time I see her.”

 

“There’s even a clock!” Penny said, pointing to the wall.

 

She was correct. On the wall hung a clock that appeared to be made from a cross-section of a tree trunk. It had been wound already, and assuming it was correct, the time was about three in the afternoon. Julie glanced around the room again and let out a low whistle.

 

“This makes the prospect of more bedrest a little better, I hope?” Penny asked. Julie nodded.

 

“Much better. I might not go entirely mad while I’m here.”

 

“Well, if you need company…” Penny said, trailing off. She pulled a small index card from the back pocket of her jeans and scribbled down a series of numbers. “I can’t really visit during the week, but I can talk on the phone during the evenings! In case you get lonely.”

 

Julie felt another foolish grin coming. 

 

“I will most definitely keep that in mind.”

 

Penny’s attention was caught by something affixed to the wall.

 

“Oh, look! Robin even installed a bookshelf!”

 

Julie’s attention was drawn to a wooden shelf near the bed. It was devoid of books, but Julie was excited by the prospect nonetheless. 

 

“I suppose now I need to borrow more literature from you.” 

 

Penny giggled.

 

“That won’t be a problem. I’ve got enough books to fill up that shelf twice over, and then some.”

 

They spent a little while longer admiring the fine craftsmanship that had gone into the cabin before moving out the porch.

 

Unfortunately, there were no rocking chairs to be had, but they made due by sitting on the edge of the porch, relaxing in the shade and swinging their legs off the edge.

 

Julie was completely content to sit and talk until the metaphorical cows came home. However, around five in the evening, the sun began to dip. Long shadows from the forest cast Julie’s property in dusky obscurity as the light began to fade. Penny spoke up.

 

“Oh dear, it’s starting to get dark. I should probably head home.”

 

Penny stood up and helped Julie to her feet. “Will you be alright here by yourself?” Julie nodded and did her best to look confident.

 

“I should be fine. I can lock the door now, at least.” She held up a brass key she had retrieved from the kitchen table to illustrate her point.

 

“That’s good. I suppose I should be going now.” Penny turned and got halfway down the steps before stopping and turning around.

 

“Hey Julie?”

 

“Yeah?”

 

“Can I, um… Ask you something?”

 

She sounded nervous. 

 

Julie gave her best attempt at a disarming smile and said, “Of course.” 

 

“Well, tomorrow marks the beginning of the last week of Spring. And on Wednesday, there’s going to be a town festival. I didn’t mention it earlier, but… Well, it’s a dance. The Flower Dance, it’s called. You’re supposed to find a partner and I don’t have one yet.” Julie liked where this conversation was going. “Would you perhaps be interested in being my date?”

 

Penny’s voice had gotten so soft, Julie had almost missed what she said. But hear it, she did. She felt a grin spreading across her face and she looked Penny in the eye.

 

“It would be my pleasure.”

 

The nerves on Penny’s face gave way to a smile so warm and wide it threatened to melt Julie’s heart on the spot.

 

“G-great!” Penny exclaimed. “I mean, thanks! I mean…” She took a breath to steady herself. “I guess that means I’ll see you on Wednesday.”

 

“That sounds wonderful.”

 

The setting sun sank ever lower on the horizon as the two said their goodbyes. Penny soon hurried off in the direction of home, but not before planting a swift smooch on Julie’s cheek in the same place Maru had earlier that day. Julie was left standing there on her porch, watching Penny’s retreating figure and holding a hand to her cheek.

 

Strange magic was afoot.


	12. An Afternoon Stroll

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Julie makes her preparations for the upcoming Flower Dance.

Julie sat at the edge of her bed, taking in the events of the day. She had a house and a date, and all in an afternoon. She idly smiled to herself and leaned back with a groan to give her ribs a rest.

 

Julie had no idea what was entailed in the Flower Dance, but she had jumped at the opportunity to accompany Penny. She sincerely hoped no-one expected her to do any real dancing. She was clumsy enough on the dance floor without cracked ribs limiting her mobility. Perhaps she could get away with just doing a box-step the whole time. She vaguely knew how to box-step.

 

She lay there staring at the ceiling and thinking about the dance for quite a while. Eventually, she lifted her legs onto the bed so she could lay down proper. She yawned and laid her head down on the single pillow she owned.

 

Some shut-eye sounded lovely after the long walk.

 

She spent quite a while laying there in silence, trying to steady her breathing and let sleep overtake her. No dice, it seemed. No matter how much she tried to clear her mind, excited thoughts kept springing to the surface, along with the anxious thoughts that usually accompanied her excitement. How many people would be there? Did the whole town show up for things like this? Was she supposed to wear something specific? She hoped not, as she still only owned one outfit. Maru had graciously let her borrow a couple of shirts, but they were all a bit too big for Julie’s frame. She vowed to herself to venture into town soon and speak to Emily, one of the bartenders at the Saloon. She made her own clothes, and had promised Julie a new outfit some time ago. (Julie had since then completely forgotten to follow-up on the offer, but that was neither here nor there.) In any case, she needed new clothes of some variety, and soon. She couldn’t very well show up in her bloodstained Hunter gear. 

 

She resolved to get it done after the weekend was over. It would give her plenty of time to rest before she had to make another long walk. For now, the sun was setting, and she was reminded of her new fireplace. She reluctantly sat up, swinging her legs off of the bed and laying her feet down on the cool hardwood floor. She found several logs in the fireplace already, no doubt a gift from Robin. She also found a tinderbox and some newspaper to use as kindling, so she wouldn’t have to rely on pyromancy to warm her morning coffee. After gathering up enough fuel to get a modest fire going, Julie spent the next ten minutes trying to get it to light properly. She was on the verge of resorting to pyromancy again when the logs finally caught. She really needed to brush up on her survival skills.

 

It was strange having a fire for light after spending most of the season in pitch darkness when the sun went down. The flickering orange flames painted the walls with a warm light. Julie sat by the fire, staring into it and occasionally feeding it scraps of paper just to watch the flames curl around them. 

 

As the evening wore on, Julie found herself at ease, listening to the sounds of the night as they mixed with the babble of the river. Julie used up the last of her rice making dinner, and resolved to head into town the next day. When her meager supper was finished, she relaxed in bed, watching the flickering light of the fire on the ceiling until she drifted off into a dreamless sleep.

 

The next day passed without much ado. Julie was hungry, but she decided that a grocery run could wait until the next day. She tided herself over with some of the mysterious ground coffee that had just sort of come with the shack. Nothing like questionable decisions to start the morning right. She sat out on her porch for a while, attempting to fish. No luck. Julie felt restless, and resolved to get out and stretch her legs the next day.

 

Monday arrived, and sometime around one or two in the afternoon by her best guess, Julie started her way down the dirt road leading to town. She stopped along the way several times to pick wild leeks, the occasional horseradish, and Spring onions. There would be a feast tonight, if this luck persisted. It was slow going, and bending down to pick vegetables was difficult, but after an hour or so, she had a small pile of goods that filled her bag almost to full. 

 

She was so caught up in searching for plants that she hardly noticed she’d wandered past the bus stop and into town square. She tucked a leek into her bag and stopped once more to pick a pair of daffodils before tucking one behind her ear. (She had left the flower Penny had picked for her on the table at home.) The other flower was placed delicately at the top of the pile.

 

Foraging done, she made her first stop at Pierre’s. He greeted her as soon as she walked in with his big fake salesman’s smile.

 

“Why, it’s Julie, the monster hunter!”

 

She winced a bit. Did he have to do this every time she came in?

 

“Yep. Here to sell you some onions, if you please.”

 

“I’ll always buy fresh produce! Go ahead and show me what you have.”

 

Julie opened her bag and removed everything but two leeks and an onion. Pierre tallied everything up and said:

 

“All this is good for about 600 gold. Quite the haul today, eh?”

 

Julie nodded, caught up in picking up another bag of rice from the shelves. She waved hello to Abigail, who had come yawning into the room as though she had just woken up. “Afternoon, Abigail.” Julie said. Abigail yawned again and returned the wave.

 

“Hey, Julie. How’s things?”

 

“Not too bad. Still healing, but other than that I can’t complain.”

 

“Oh yeah, I was gonna ask about-”

 

“Abigail.” Pierre said sternly as though he knew precisely what she meant to ask. “Now is not the time.”

 

“But-”

 

“We have customers in the store, I don’t want any monster talk.” He said the word ‘monster’ as though one might spring from the apple barrel any second. 

 

“Hey, Abigail.” Julie said to catch her attention. “I could actually use a hand, could you come here a second?” Abigail closed the distance miraculously fast.

 

“So what was it?” She asked conspiratorially.

 

“A Wendigo,” Julie whispered.

 

“Wow! A what?”

 

“I don’t know what your term for them would be, but they’re big, fast, and cannibalistic.”

 

“Dude, that kicks ass.”

 

“I wouldn’t quite say that…”

 

“Abigail!”

 

Abigail turned around and shot her father an “I’m innocent” look. “Catch you later.” She said before walking away to busy herself with some produce.

 

Julie said her goodbyes and made her way back out into the sunshine. Next stop, the Saloon. She ambled her way to the brick building and pushed open the door.

 

The inside of the building was empty, save for Gus the bartender.

 

“Well hello, Julie! How goes it?”

 

Julie made her way to the counter and began fishing gold out of the pouch she kept on her belt. “How much for a cup of coffee?”

 

“That’ll be 300 gold.”

 

“Alright, fair enough. One coffee, please.” She set a few golden coins on the counter and Gus scooped them up. With payment received, he went back to the coffee machine in the corner of the room and began fixing Julie a cup.

 

“Cream and sugar?”

 

“A little of each, I suppose? It’s not for me, I was going to bring it to someone.”

 

` Gus turned around and winked at her. “Oh, I see. Not a problem, not a problem. Let me get you a better to-go cup. I’m sure I have some here somewhere…”

 

Gus began fishing around behind the counter before retrieving a small stack of paper cups and plastic lids. Humming a tune to himself, Gus merrily filled the cup with black coffee and poured in a small dollop of cream and sugar. He leaned forward and inhaled the steam coming off of the cup.

 

“Ahh, yep! That’s a good cup of Joe. You can always tell by the aroma of the coffee beans.” He put the cup down on the bar and went back to scrounging before coming up with a cardboard coffee sleeve and placing the cup inside it. “There! Now you can carry it without burning your hands!”

 

Julie took the cup gratefully. “Thank you!” She was about to say her goodbyes when she remembered something.

 

“Say, Gus?”

 

“Yes?”

 

“When does Emily start work? I needed to talk to her about getting some new clothes.”

 

“She usually comes in around four to get ready for her shift. If you want to catch her beforehand, that would be the best time.”

 

“Okay. Thank you! I appreciate the advice.” Julie had begun to head for the door when she heard Gus speak again.

 

“If I may ask, who’s the lucky mystery recipient?” He indicated the drink in her hand with a nod of his head.

 

“Oh. It’s, erm… It’s for a friend.”

 

Gue raised an eyebrow at her and let out a chuckle. “Come now, there’s no need to be shy! I’m a bartender, town gossip is my bread and butter.” Julie smiled. The old ‘the bartender hears everything’ line.

 

“Well if you must know, it’s for Maru down at the clinic.” Gus’ face broke into a smile.

 

“Ah! I see. Well, I’m sure she’ll love it. She’s a nice enough girl, though I confess I don’t know much about her. She doesn’t come into the Saloon, and her parents are usually too busy to come in for a drink. I see Robin around town when she’s working on people’s houses, though. They’re nice folks.” Julie nodded.

 

“Indeed.”

 

“Well, don’t let me keep you from your errands. But it was good to see you, Julie! You’re always welcome here.”

 

Julie thanked him for his help and pushed open the door again, this time somewhat awkwardly as she had to dedicate one hand to holding the coffee. After a few near spills, she finally managed to push her way back out into the light of day.

 

Next stop: The clinic.

 

Julie must have looked a bit odd, standing in the clinic’s waiting room in her Hunter’s regalia with a rucksack full of flowers and leeks. The lobby was empty when she arrived, but after a few minutes of silent contemplation while she stared at the posters hung up around the room, Maru poked her head into the room.

 

“Julie! What are you doing here?”

 

Julie stood up, causing her ribs to whine in protest. She put on her most casual smile and held up the cup of coffee. 

 

“Special delivery.”

 

Maru’s eyes widened a bit, and she quickly strolled over to the counter to take the cup from Julie. She was dressed in a nurse’s scrubs and a little white hat with a red cross on the front. It was quite different from the comfortable (if somewhat eccentric) way she usually dressed. Maru reached out and took the cup, blowing into the small hole in the lid to cool it before taking a sip. 

 

“Ahh. You are a lifesaver, you know that?”

 

Julie smiled. 

 

“I try.” 

 

Maru took another sip and closed her eyes for a moment to savor it.

 

“I’ve been tired all day. Didn’t get a lot of sleep last night.”

 

“Got used to sleeping on the floor, eh?”

 

Maru chuckled. 

 

“It is nice to have the bed back, but it’s a little lonely after having a friend nearby for a week.” 

 

Julie’s heart warmed to hear it. 

 

“What brings you into town, though? Shouldn’t you be home resting?”

 

“Well… Yes. Yes, I am. But I needed to come into town today for something anyway.”

 

“That’s nice and vague.”

 

Julie blushed a bit and cleared her throat. “Oh, fine. I’m here to talk to Emily. I, uh… Need a dress.”

 

Maru’s eyes lit up. “She asked you, then?”

 

Julie knew exactly what she was talking about. She idly ran her fingers through her hair and felt the flower she’d placed behind her ear.

 

“Yeah, she did. The poor thing almost lost the nerve, but she did. It was really cute.”

 

Maru beamed at her. 

 

“I’m loving this. You’ll need to tell me more about it later. For now, I should probably get back to work before Harvey notices I’m not sorting patient files. Thank you for the coffee, though!”

 

She hurried around the counter and wrapped Julie in a gentle hug. Julie gave her a squeeze for good measure and they parted. Julie said goodbye and Maru hurried into the back with coffee in hand. She walked back outside before Harvey could make an appearance and see that she was out of bed.

 

With her bag nice and light and most of her errands done, Julie went and sat on a bench near the Saloon. It was a peaceful spot, and it reminded her of how she first met Maru. she sat there for quite some time, relaxing and letting herself drink in the sunshine.

 

She watched a small family of rabbits creep out of one bush and hop across the grass to another. She silently observed, not daring to move for fear of startling them. One rabbit in particular (the runt from the looks of it) was having trouble clearing the gap on its own, and Julie watched its mother prod it from behind until it hopped the few feet to the next bush. She had always found animal behavior fascinating, and she watched the fuzzy little creatures with a warm feeling in her chest.

 

Some time after the rabbits had moved on, Julie saw a shock of blue hair in the distance. A young woman in a red dress was locking a door behind her. The woman made her way toward the Saloon, and Julie waved her down as soon as she was within earshot. “Emily!”

 

Emily looked confused as to who had called her name at first, but upon noticing Julie she gave an enthusiastic wave and hurried over.

 

“Julie! It’s good to see you! How are things? Are you okay? I heard something dreadful happened, but you know how Saloon talk is.” She spoke a little faster than Julie could process, but it was hard not to catch her enthusiasm.

 

“Yeah, I had to go on a hunt a while back and it left me with a couple injuries. Nothing too serious, though.”

 

“Oh, my! Well that sounds exciting, if also terrifying. I’m glad to see that you’re okay, though!”

 

“Thank you! I uh, actually have a favor to ask of you, and if it’s too short-notice, that’s totally fine.”

 

“Ooh, a favor! I’m always happy to help,what’s up?”

 

“Well, I uh… I got asked to the Flower Dance this coming week.”

 

“Oh that’s wonderful! Who’s the lucky person?”

 

“I’m going with Penny.” Saying the words out loud brought a smile to Julie’s face. “And I was hoping to take you up on that offer for some new clothes. This is kind of my only outfit.” She gestured to the intimidating black and grey garb she wore. Emily examined the fabric and leather.

 

“Hmm. Decent for protecting the wearer, but not really dance-y.” 

 

Emily reached into her bag and retrieved a tape measure that she evidently just carried with her at all times. Without a word, she began rapidly measuring Julie, the tape measure flashing in the sun as Emily went about her task. After a minute or two, Emily put the tape measure away and looked Julie up and down with great scrutiny. 

 

“Hm… Yes, I think that’ll do nicely. I can definitely help you out!”

 

“Are you sure it’s not too soon before the dance? I know we only have a couple days.”

 

“Nonsense! I’ve done more with less, believe me.”

 

“Well, you’ll have my sincerest gratitude if you can manage it before the dance. And I’ll pay you for your work, regardless.”

 

Emily seemed happy with the arrangement, and she plucked a small notepad from her bag and jotted a few things down.

 

“I think I have everything I need! Don’t worry, Julie. I’ll have a beautiful dress ready for you by Tuesday, mark my words!”

 

Julie gave her a look of gratitude before handing her the remainder of the gold in her pouch.

 

“Consider that a down payment, it’s all I have right now.”

 

Emily took the coins and counted them out. “This’ll do just fine for now. It’ll be enough to cover the materials I’ll use. We’ll call this half, and you can pay me the other half when I deliver the dress!”

 

“I can’t tell you how much I appreciate it. Thank you.”

 

Emily waved her hand in a ‘don’t sweat it’ fashion.

 

“I’m always happy to design clothes. It’s my passion! So thank you!” Emily checked her watch. “Oh dear, I have to get going. But it was nice talking to you, Julie! Come by the saloon sometime, if you feel so inclined!”

 

“I will! And thanks, again.”

 

“You are very welcome!” With that, Emily was off, leaving Julie sitting alone on the bench watching the afternoon sun filter through the trees.

 

Just one more stop to make.

 

A little while after Emily’s departure, Julie began trundling her way toward the eastern end of town. She had never actually been to where she was going, but she knew what to look for.

 

Sure enough, behind the Mayor’s painted white manor sat a little trailer. Julie walked slowly up to the door and stood outside a moment, hesitating. Julie noticed from the outside that the curtains were pulled open to let sunlight in. Perhaps that meant someone was home.

 

She knocked three times and waited. After a minute of silence, she saw Penny’s face appear in one of the windows, looking out. Julie waved and did her best to look casual. Julie heard the sound of clutter being moved from inside and after a minute or two, Penny opened the door quickly and stepped outside.

 

“Julie! Hi! I wasn’t expecting you today.”

 

“Yeah, I had to make a run to Pierre’s for food and I figured I’d drop by and say hello. It’s not a bad time, is it?”

 

“No, not a bad time at all! I was just trying to get some cleaning done.”

 

“Should I leave you to it?”

 

“Actually, I could use a break. I’ve got all night, anyway. Mom’s out at the Saloon.”

 

“Oh, okay then. In that case, would you care to take a hobble with me?”

 

Penny cocked her head to the side. “A hobble?”

 

“It’s like a walk, but slower and with a lot of stops.” Julie said, indicating her healing ribs. 

 

Penny picked up on the joke and laughed, perhaps more than the joke deserved.Not that Julie was complaining. Julie loved her laugh. It was easy and free as a summer’s breeze, and hearing it raised Julie’s spirits immensely. In truth, her ribs were starting to protest the amount of moving she was doing, but Julie didn’t much care.

 

“Sure.” Penny said. “A hobble sounds like just what I need.” 

 

She pulled a small key from her pocket and locked the door behind her. After pocketing the key again, she extended her arm and Julie took it. They began to stroll slowly toward the bridge that led across the river.

 

“So how’s your day been?” Penny asked.

 

“Oh, it’s been pretty good. I went scrounging for food on the way over here and I came up with a decent stockpile. Brought Maru some coffee over at the clinic. Sat out on a bench a while. Nothing super exciting.” She decided to leave out her asking Emily to make her a dress. Penny didn’t need to know how nervous she was about the dance.

 

“Well that still sounds like a good day! I’ve been doing dishes for most of the afternoon. I’m actually really glad you came to call! I needed some sunshine today.”

 

They stopped on the bridge and stood there a while, leaning on the stone railing and watching the water rush by. Julie found herself leaning on Penny for support. She was tired, but content with where she was. Penny didn’t seem to mind, responding with a pleased sigh when Julie rested her head on her shoulder.

 

The sun was just beginning to set when they separated. Julie’s neck was a bit stiff, but she couldn’t care less. She looked at her bag (which had been placed on the ground) and opened it to pull out an only slightly bent daffodil. With Penny’s consent, Julie brushed her fiery hair back away from her left ear and gently tucked the flower behind it.

 

Julie wasn’t sure how long they stood there, watching the river and occasionally chatting about books. Julie felt peaceful, despite the mounting soreness in her ribs. She walked Penny back home.

 

“It was good to see you.” Penny said, lingering in her doorway.

 

“It was lovely talking to you as well.” Julie replied.

 

“I suppose I’ll see you Wednesday, then?” Julie smiled at the question.

 

“Definitely. Wouldn’t miss it for the world.”

 

A blossom of pink appeared in Penny’s cheeks.

 

“Have a good night, Julie.”

 

“You as well.”

 

Before she left, Julie gave Penny a hug. 

 

“I’ll see you on Wednesday.” Penny said as she pulled away.

 

“It’s a date!” Julie said, her tone bubbling with excitement.

 

Penny grinned at her and softly spoke.

 

“That it is. I can’t wait!”

 

Julie gave Penny a parting wink and began making her way towards home. She was tired and stiff and ready to collapse into bed, but she smiled all the way back.


	13. With Flowers in Their Hair

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Julie attends the Flower Dance.

Early Tuesday evening, there was a knock at the door. Julie stood up with a groan and walked across the room to answer it. When she pulled open the door, she saw Emily standing there with a bundle of shimmering white cloth.

 

“Oh, that can’t possibly be-”

 

“It’s yours!” Emily declared, practically reading her mind. “I just finished up this afternoon!”

 

She held up the bundle and let the dress tumble down so Julie could get a good look at it.

 

The dress was woven of a radiant white cloth that gleamed in the light of Julie’s cooking fire. It boasted a simple design, with a modest neckline and the fabric cinched at one side. Julie took it from Emily delicately and was surprised to feel how heavy and thick the fabric was. She had expected something so flowy-looking to be lighter.

 

“I can’t stay long, I have a shift at the Saloon that I’m running a bit late for. But I just had to see the look on your face when you first saw it!”  Julie was certain that said look was priceless. She had never really owned a dress, having spent most of her youth presenting in the most androgynous way possible. However, she had always held a certain appreciation for the incredible designs that some dresses possesed. And now, to have one so well-designed, and custom made for her, it felt like something out of a romantic daydream.

 

“Emily, I don’t know what to say. It’s gorgeous, and I will wear it with pride.”

 

Emily rushed forward and wrapped Julie in a gentle but nevertheless enthusiastic hug.

 

“You really like it? I’m so glad! I take pride in all my work, but I try to make custom projects special for their recipients. I do hope you like the cut.”

 

“I’ll have to try it on to know for sure, but I’m in love with the design already. It looks very Greek.”

 

“Very what?”

 

“Erm… nothing. It’s very regal!”

 

“Oh! You’re very kind. I can’t wait to see how it fits!”

 

It was then Julie remembered the other half of Emily’s payment. She held up a finger in a ‘just a second’ gesture and went to the table, where a half-full coin purse sat. She had loaded the shipping box on the side of the house with onions, flowers, and leeks in an attempt to scrape together adequate payment for the amount of work that was sure to go into making her dress. As it was, she had 620 gold. It still felt insufficient to cover the cost, but Emily took it happily, saying she would have done it for free. Julie insisted she take her payment anyway.

 

Emily glanced down at her watch.

 

“Okay, I really do have to run, but it was nice seeing you!”

 

“You as well! Thank you again!”

 

“It was my pleasure! I’ll see you tomorrow!”

 

Julie bid Emily goodbye and closed the door, taking in her new dress. It was a far cry from the ragged beast-hunter’s garb that hung on the wall. Julie carefully undressed and began the somewhat foreign process of trying to put the thing on. It was no small feat with her still-injured bones, but after a great deal of undignified wiggling she at last managed to slip the thing on and zip it up most of the way.

 

She didn’t own a mirror, and this fact had never frustrated her so much as it did in this very moment. The fabric came down to her ankle on one side and the top of her calf on the other. The neckline was tasteful, while still showing a little more skin than Julie was used to. 

 

She stood there for a few minutes, swishing her hips as best she could and getting a feel for the garment. When she was at last satisfied that it wasn’t going to fall off of her at the dance the next day, Julie wiggled back out of the dress and changed back into her undershirt and trousers. This accomplished, she went to her stove and began heating up a skillet to fry up some fish.

 

She had at last successfully caught and cleaned a fish, with the end result being a bit less appetizing than she might have hoped. Nevertheless, she would dine on fish tonight. She would just have to be sure she didn’t still have fish breath the next day. The thought almost made her rethink her choice of dinner, but the prospect of getting some protein into her diet won out in the end.

 

By the time night had well and truly fallen, she was dining on fried fish and rice, and feeling more than a little pleased with herself. Under normal circumstances, she would have shut the door before eating, but tonight she left it open to let the fish smell out of the house. It was a warm evening, a herald of oncoming summer. Julie could see a bright, full moon in the sky from her place on the floor at the foot of her bed. She watched it rise in the sky like a pale lamplight in the distance, and Julie could see the luminous body reflected in the churning waters of the river. It was a lovely night to sightsee.

 

Long ago and far away, Julie might have gone out for a walk in such lovely conditions. Tonight, however, she was content to sit and watch the moon as she thought about the next day.

 

She knew very little about the town customs, about what was expected of her, or about dancing in general, really. Nevertheless, she heaved a sigh of pleased anticipation as she thought of dancing with Penny.  She hoped there would be music. Her stay at Maru’s reminded her how much she missed music.

 

She looked around; from her blazing fire to the moon rising in the sky, to the babbling river, to the new dress hung up delicately on the wall. She had come so far from Yharnam, she could scarcely believe where she was.

 

She had a house. Friends. Potential romance, even. She had a community that had embraced her. It was confounding and achingly familiar all at once. It seemed too good to be true.

 

She set her finished food aside, staring out at the moon and taking deep breaths of the clean forest air. She began to sing softly to herself.

 

It was an old song, and one she had sung a thousand times. Be that as it was, she faltered on the second verse. She couldn’t remember the lyrics.

 

The more she thought about it, the more it bothered her. It was a song she thought she knew by heart. Why was she blanking on the words?

 

Julie also realized that she no longer had any idea what the song was called. Or who had written it. As she tried to focus, she began feeling dizzy and lightheaded, and she staggered to her feet and went to the doorway to get some fresh air.

 

Something outside caught her eye. It was fast, but she had seen it. A flash of dark purple had streaked across the night sky, almost invisible save for the stars it blotted out with its passing. A few seconds of silence later, she heard something splashing through the river. Julie wheeled around in a fashion most painful and made for the fireplace to retrieve her sword. Her fingers wrapped around the hilt and-

 

Julie woke up to grey light filtering in through her moth-eaten curtains.

 

What on Earth (or whatever this planet was called) had just happened? She sat up in bed only to get another pang in her ribs for her trouble. Her eyes scanned across the room, looking for anything amiss.

 

The front door was shut and appeared to be locked. The fire had burnt itself out, and her sword lay on its display stand, untouched. Had she been dreaming? She didn’t remember falling asleep, and she certainly didn’t remember getting up to lock the door. As she tried to focus on the events of the past evening, her thoughts became muddled and hazy. She was too groggy to think straight.

 

She pinched herself to make sure she was awake and got out of bed. She was still dressed in her shirt and Hunter trousers, and one foot claimed a sock. Had she simply passed out in bed and had a strange dream? It seemed unlikely.

 

She crossed the room to the door and unlocked it, pulling it open after just a moment’s hesitation.

 

She wasn’t sure what she was expecting. A beast that had for some reason waited until morning to attack? A dimensional wormhole here to ensure her paranoia was justified? Some sort of evil wizard? Whatever she expected, it didn’t involve anywhere near as much nothing as she saw outside.

 

There was simply nothing unusual about the circumstances, and it put Julie ever so slightly on edge. Maybe she was just being paranoid. She looked to the clock on the wall and saw that it was a quarter past nine in the morning.

 

She was late! The dance would be starting soon. Julie looked around her cabin at a loss of what to do. Should she be worried about what had happened the evening previous? Had she simply blacked out? Too many questions, not enough time to answer them.

 

Opting to put her investigation off until later, Julie threw her hands up and began preparing for the dance.

 

She wolfed down a handful of berries for breakfast and did her best to get any berry juice off of her hands before she handled her white dress. She shimmied into the garment and carefully examined her reflection in the window. It was a strange sight, to be certain. She supposed she could get used to it. With time. 

 

She didn’t own any dancing shoes, so her boots would have to do. She tucked a small knife into the inside of the boot, where she had a small concealed sheath. 

 

Now properly armed, she straightened up and looked around to make sure she wasn’t missing anything. She stole a glance at the clock and noticed she’d somehow killed thirty minutes. She had to go now if she hoped to make it.

 

Julie made her way outside and locked the door behind her. She turned a wary eye on her land, but saw nothing out of the ordinary. Satisfied with this for now, she put the matter from her mind and focused on the new predicament she found herself in.

 

She had no idea where the Flower Dance was being held.

 

She began making her way toward town, hoping that she might run into someone that could be of assistance. It was a bit of a longshot, as the majority of the town was most likely at the festival, but it was worth a shot.

 

The bus stop was deserted, and the town square was devoid of life. Julie felt foolish standing in the middle of an empty street, looking about like she was lost.

 

To her great relief,  she heard the sound of a door opening, and turned to see Evelyn as she made her way out of Pierre’s. Julie waved the old woman down and Evelyn responded with a cheerful wave of her own.

 

“Why don’t you just look marvelous, dear!” Evelyn said as Julie approached. “You’re off to the flower dance, then?”

 

“Thank you! And yes, I am. Or, trying to at least. I’m a bit lost.”

 

Evelyn chuckled.

 

“I can see that. You’re looking for the Cindersap Forest. But not to worry, I can show you the way from here.”

 

“Oh. That’s very kind of you, Are you sure?”

 

“Of course! I was on my way over to the festival anyway. I just stopped at Pierre’s to get the supplies for my famous fruit punch!”

 

Julie noticed a bag of various fruits tucked under one of her arms.

 

“I could use the company, if you don’t mind walking with an old woman for a while.”

 

“Not at all! May I help you with that bag?”

 

Evelyn looked pleased that Julie had offered.

 

“Why, of course! Thank you very much!”

 

The two women began walking southwest, toward the towering trees of the Cindersap Forest.. They talked of home and hearth as they walked, Julie asking for tips on cooking and Evelyn offering to teach Julie to bake pastries. Soon enough, they walked right off of the cobblestone streets and onto a dirt path that wound its way into the forest.

 

 

Julie didn’t see anyone else on the road. She hoped she wouldn’t be too late. Evelyn seemed to pick up on her anxiety and said:

 

“Don’t you worry, dear. The dancing doesn’t start until everyone arrives. And so what if we are late? You’re helping an old woman with her groceries and I’m… well, old! We’ll make a fashionably late entrance, just like George and I did a great many years ago.”

 

She let out a cackling laugh that set Julie’s mind at ease.

 

“Those were the days.”

 

“Where is George, anyway?”

 

“Oh, he’s at home. The forest floor doesn’t agree with his chair.”

 

“I see. Well, tell him hello when you see him, won’t you?”

 

“I will! I’m sure he’ll appreciate it.”

 

Julie looked up at the sky. It was overcast, and a dark mass was building on the horizon.

 

“Hope it doesn’t rain.” Julie said out loud to herself.

 

“Oh, don’t worry dear. It never rains on a Festival Day.”

 

She said it with such certainty, such finality, that Julie could formulate no response. 

 

At last, Julie could hear the sound of laughter and speech coming from up ahead. As she and Evelyn made their way into a forest clearing, they were greeted with several rounds of ‘hello’s as various townsfolk saw them.

 

The whole town had shown up, everyone milling around and talking amongst themselves.  Julie saw quite a few faces she didn’t have names for, despite the fact that they all seemed to know who she was. Julie supposed word traveled fast in a place like this.

 

That’s when she caught sight of Penny and Maru.

 

The two of them were standing off to the side, near the treeline. Maru looking about expectantly and Penny nervously glancing around and rearranging the wildflowers woven into her hair. They were dressed in white dresses not unlike Julie’s, the fabric shimmering dully in the weak sunlight filtering through the trees. Julie felt her heart begin to race as she drew closer.

 

As Julie drew near, both girls saw her and began waving her over. She took a deep breath to steady herself and waved back, grinning. She closed the distance and noticed a slightly wilted daffodil tucked behind Penny’s ear.

 

Maru wrapped Julie in a hug and took a step back to admire Emily’s handiwork. Julie all too rarely had occasion to twirl, and twirl she did. The folds of the dress billowed out as she gave them a quick turn. Maru and Penny’s eyes widened in delight.

 

“Wow,” Penny whispered.

 

Maru just let out a low whistle of appreciation. Julie felt color rushing to her cheeks.

 

“You both look beautiful,” Julie said softly. 

 

They just stood there for several moments, each looking for words and failing. Julie looked from Penny’s emerald green eyes to Maru’s chestnut brown eyes and suddenly it was as if the rest of the festival had vanished away. As she glanced back and forth, trying not to stare, she felt as though they were all alone in the quiet of the forest. Just for a moment.

 

That’s when Harvey stumbled over, trying to hike up his socks as he did so. He almost stumbled right into Julie, and Maru had to reach out and grab his shoulder to stop him.

 

“Oh dear!” Harvey declared. “I’m terribly sorry, I’m just all left feet today.”

 

Julie sighed. The moment had been nice while it lasted.

 

“No worries, doc. Happens to the best of us.”

 

“Hello, Harvey,” Maru said, just a bit exasperated.

 

“Hello,” Penny said quietly, still fussing with the flowers in her hair.

 

“Hello!” Harvey said. “I’m sorry to bother you, I just… Well- See- The thing is…”

 

He gulped and adjusted his tie.

 

“I uh, don’t suppose I could convince one of you to dance with me? I really don’t want to sit out again this year.”

 

Julie and Penny both blanched and began formulating excuses To her credit, Maru stepped in.

 

“Sure. I don’t have a partner this year either.”

 

Penny’s face visibly flooded with relief. Julie hoped she was faring better, but doubted it.

 

“You two go on and get into place. The dance is supposed to start soon! I’ll be there in just a minute.” 

 

She gestured to Harvey, who had accidentally undone his tie and was now making a mess of trying to get it back on. Julie and Penny nodded, and turned away to face the ‘dance floor’.

 

Said floor being a large patch of open grass cordoned off by tactically placed flower bushels in little ceramic pots. A wooden fence cordoned off the forest in the back. They passed a few other pairs preparing for the dance, including a young woman that Julie only vaguely recognized and a tall man with a mane of hair so thick that he had stuck and entire bouquet into it with ease.

 

On the way to the nearest open space, they passed Abigail, who waved to Julie and exchanged  brief pleasantries with Penny.

 

“Julie!” She said. “I gotta say, it’s kind of weird seeing you in a dress. Not bad, weird. But weird.”

 

“Um… Thanks?”

 

“You’re welcome!”

 

“Are you going to be dancing?” Penny asked. 

 

Abigail gestured to her black and purple attire.

 

“Nah. I think this whole thing is archaic and outdated. And on top of that I  _ hate  _ dancing in front of people. Mom usually makes me do it, but this year I refused. I’m here to provide music!”

 

She held up an intricately carved wooden flute.

 

“That’s great! I can’t wait to hear it.” Julie said.

 

“Thanks! I’m a little nervous, to be honest. I usually don’t play my flute unless I’m somewhere nice and secluded. But it’s better than dancing. Er, no offence.”

 

She gestured vaguely to their dance attire. Julie waved it off. 

 

“None taken. I’m pretty nervous myself, to tell you the truth.”

 

“Have you healed enough to dance?” Penny asked, concerned. “I wish I’d thought of that when I asked you, I just wasn’t thinking.”

 

“Sweetie, I’m happy to be here, and even happier to be here with you. I think I’ve healed up enough, so long as we don’t have to do anything crazy.”

 

That’s when a thought struck Julie.

 

“What sort of dance are we going to be doing? I hadn’t thought to ask up until now.”

 

“Well, the ‘dance’ is pretty simple.” Penny  replied.  “We mostly face our partners and do a little jig, but you can probably skip that bit if you need to.”

 

“You don’t think I’ll look silly?”

 

“Not at all!”

 

Just then, Mayor Lewis turned to the general area of the the dance floor and cupped his hands around his mouth.

 

“The dance will begin momentarily!” He called.

 

Abigail held up her flute.

 

“I’d better get to my spot. You two have fun!”

 

With that, she hurried off to stand at the far end of the grassy clearing.

 

Julie caught Penny’s eye and held out her hand. Penny smiled at her and took it. They made their way out onto the dance floor.

 

The mayor instructed the dancers to stand a ways apart and face their partners. Julie gave Penny’s hand a squeeze and went to her spot slowly.

 

Abigail began playing an upbeat melody on her flute. The sound of the notes rang out across the forest clearing, silencing all chatter from the audience. Julie, stood between Harvey and the Disney prince she’d seen earlier, did her best to observe the dance that her line of folks was supposed to be doing. It involved more legwork than her ribs were inclined to stand, so instead, she resorted to her old standy: The  Robot.

 

She got a couple chuckles from the audience, but she didn’t care. She could always say it was a dance from her homeland, which wasn’t technically a lie.

 

The two lines of dancers began to close the gap. Penny held her dress in her hands and  swished it back and forth, closing her eyes occasionally as she danced. She giggled as Julie approached. When at last they reached each other, Julie placed one hand at Penny’s waist and the other in her hand.

 

“Mind if I lead?” She whispered.

 

“Not at all.” Penny replied, batting her lashes.

 

The other pairs broke into dances of their own, some slow, some fast, all keeping some kind of time to Abigail’s flute as it called out its haunting notes. Julie began a clumsy box-step and walked Penny through the steps with gentle nudges in the right direction. Soon they had fallen into sync, rotating and swaying in time with the music. Everything else faded away as they twirled together, their elegant attire almost dazzling in the grey morning light. The music bid them onward, and Julie felt more relaxed than she had in a long time, despite her nerves. She raised her hand and spun Penny around. Penny giggled like a schoolgirl and came out of the twirl right into Julie’s arms. Julie caught her with ease and held on for just a moment before bringing her back up and starting the rotation over.

 

Julie wasn’t sure how long the dance went on, but she felt as though she could go on for hours, just like this. She looked into Penny’s eyes and saw a warmth there that almost made her want to cry.

 

She spun Penny around again and caught sight of a familiar face watching from the sidelines. Standing there with a plate of food from the buffet table was Pam, watching her daughter dance with the easiest expression Julie had ever seen on her face. She caught Julie’s eye for just a moment and gave her a subtle thumbs up. Julie’s momentary anxiety melted into relief as she nodded in response.

 

After what felt like blissful ages, the music began winding down and eventually came to a close. The dancers separated and bowed toward their partners before beginning to separate.

 

Penny held onto Julie for just a moment more.

They joined Maru, Harvey, Sebastian, and Abigail at one of the picnic tables that had been set up nearby while everyone else flocked to the food. Julie joined in the conversation and was pleased as punch to see Penny doing the same. They talked and laughed together for nearly another hour before the townsfolk began to disperse. Julie had finally relaxed enough to stomach food, and she made her way to the ransacked buffet table to scrounge for something to eat.

 

As Julie rounded the corner, she made eye contact with Pam again. She said nothing at first, but rather began grabbing appetizers, wrapping them in napkins, and stowing them in her pocket. Julie understood, and said nothing, instead focusing on making plates for Penny and herself.

 

When she reached down into the ice bucket to retrieve two sodas, she came up to find Pam standing next to her.

 

“Hey, kid.” She said. “You got a second?”

 

“Um… Sure.”

 

She beckoned Julie to come closer, and spoke in a low voice so as to not be overheard.

 

“You seem like a nie enough young lady. Right now, we don’t have a problem. But you treat my Penny nice, you hear me? She’s all I got.”

 

Julie looked her in the eye and nodded.

 

“I understand. You have my word.”

 

“Good. That’s all I wanted to say. You kids have fun, I think I’m gonna head home and catch a nap.”

Pam then turned, picked up her plate, and walked away.

 

Julie was left with the challenge of gathering up the food and drinks without dropping anything on the ground. At last she returned to the table, plopping down in between Penny and Maru. The table welcomed her, and Penny reacted with surprised delight when she saw that Julie had brought food.

 

“You read my mind! Thank you, this looks delicious!”

 

“Always happy to help,” Julie responded.

 

They sat in relative quiet for a while while everyone became absorbed in their food. Penny scooted a little closer to her on the bench, and Julie casually wrapped an arm around her waist.

 

Julie laid her head down on Penny’s shoulder, content to sit there and listen in on the table’s conversation. It was strange, but she felt almost at home.

 

_ These people are decent folk, _ she thought to herself.  _ And they’ve accepted me as one of their own. _

 

The thought sent her mind reeling. She belonged here. She felt a strong kinship with these people as she sat there among them. She was determined to enjoy it, for however long it lasted.

 

Thunder rolled in the distance.

 

“Should we start packing things up before it starts to rain?” Julie asked.

 

“Oh, don’t worry,” said Maru. “we’ll have plenty of time to take everything down. It never rains on a Festival Day.”

 

There was that phrase again. Julie supposed it was just a local saying, but it was strange all the same. She decided that at the moment she had more pressing matters to attend to. Like enjoying her time with her friends.

 

Julie yawned. The dance had taken more out of her than she’d thought, and she was dedicating most of her brain power to staying awake. She nuzzled into Penny’s shoulder.

 

A storm loomed on the horizon, but the rain didn’t come. Julie found herself staring into the endless grey expanse of the sky, transfixed. Even though her mind was far, far away, everything was fine in this moment.

 

It never rained on a Festival Day.


	14. Hard Left Turn

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In the aftermath of the town festival, Julie stumbles upon something startling.

Both Penny and Maru walked Julie home. The Cindersap forest was located to the south of Julie’s property, and there existed a shortcut from the edge of the festival grounds to the other side of the river. Julie marveled at how quickly they reached her home.

 

When they arrived, the girls decided to stick around, sitting on Julie’s porch in their festival attire and exchanging jokes and idle thoughts to pass the time. Julie had laid her head across Penny’s lap and her legs across Maru’s and was perfectly content to lounge there for as long as they would allow her. Penny spent a good part of the time plucking flowers from her own hair and weaving them into Julie’s. Maru just leaned back with her arms behind her head, relaxing and enjoying the company.

 

“How do you suppose these town festivals got started, anyway?” Penny asked.

 

“Well, the Flower Dance was originally a fertility ritual that got slowly implemented into the town’s traditions.” Maru said. “After a couple years of performing the dance ritualistically, the town shifted to making it a big social event. Years and years later, here we are. It’s still a little old-fashioned for my tastes, but you can’t deny that it brings the community together.” 

 

“Oh, now that you mention it, I think I recall reading about that in one of the town history texts. They used to sacrifice a goat, or whatever.”

 

Julie sat up a bit and propped her head on her elbow so she could look at Penny properly.

 

“Wait, seriously?”

 

“Oh yeah. That was a really long time ago, though. Nowadays we just make fruit punch and serve a buffet.”

 

“Huh. Seems a bit dark for this town, but I suppose there’s worse things you could do as a community.”

 

Julie was vividly reminded of the torch-bearing mobs of Yharnamites coursing through the city streets. She could hear their screams in her mind still. She could smell the gunpowder and the sickly sweet stench of blood mingling together as she carved her way through their ranks. Smoke, fire, bodies strewn about the cobblestone paths like trash. She shuddered. Worse community functions, indeed.

 

“Julie? Are you alright?” Penny asked.

 

“I’m… I’m okay. Just went to a bad place there for a second.”

 

Maru laid a hand gently on her shin and squeezed in a reassuring fashion.

 

“You’re allowed to not be alright, you know. We’re here to listen.”

 

Penny nodded her agreement.

 

“That’s right! You don’t have to tell us if you don’t want to, but we’re here for you.”

 

She brushed a hand through Julie’s hair. Julie took a deep breath and focused on the comforting sensation for a moment before speaking again.

 

“Thank you. I don’t necessarily mind talking about my time as a Hunter, but… Well, I’m not proud of it.”

 

“We do what we have to do in order to survive.” Maru said.

 

Julie wasn’t sure that ‘mowing down peasants’ would make Maru’s list of things deemed as ‘necessary’, but she opted to keep this thought to herself.

 

“I suppose. Be that as it may, I almost lost myself to the Hunt. It was a curse. I had power at my fingertips, but I was becoming something inhuman. If I hadn’t gotten lost in the Labyrinth… I don’t like to think about how I would have ended up.”

 

 

“You’ve mentioned the Labyrinth before.” Penny said. “Is that what led you here?”

 

“I think so? Honestly, I don’t know how it works. But there were endless passages that could have gone anywhere. I walked for so long, I thought I was going to lose my mind, but eventually, I saw sunlight. I think somehow along the way I left that world behind. Yharnam was a hotbed of supernatural activity, and I wouldn’t be surprised if some of those passageways went through dimensional rifts.”

 

“Trans-dimensional travel on foot.” Maru said, letting out a whistle. “I can’t even imagine the science behind something like that.”

 

“Yeah, magic is a wildcard. Once you know the rules, it almost becomes a science. But learning the rules sometimes has consequences.”

 

She thought of the leading scholars of Byrgenwerth, with their many, many insect eyes dedicated to grasping the nature of the cosmos. 

 

“Dire consequences.”

 

Penny made a distasteful face.

 

“It sounds frightful to me. I hope I never have to see the inside of a place like that. In any case, I’m very glad you made it out!”

 

Julie chuckled, though the idea wasn’t all that funny.

 

“I almost didn’t. I was a fool to go in alone. Some nights, I can’t stop thinking about what would have happened if I hadn’t escaped that maze.”

 

She shuddered again, and nuzzled into Penny a bit more.

 

“I’m sorry to hear that it bothers you.” Penny said. “I won’t pry any further. But you have us now, and we’re not going anywhere anytime soon.”

 

She brushed Julie’s head again, and continued running her fingers idly through Julie’s hair.

 

“That’s right.” Maru added. “You’re safe here in Pelican Town.”

 

Julie let out a small laugh.

 

“Wendigos notwithstanding.”

 

Julie could have gone on like this for ages. They sat there for quite some time, burning through the afternoon and stretching almost into evening. Soon enough it began getting dark, and Penny and Maru had to say their goodbyes and make for home.

 

Julie was left sitting in front of her empty cabin, watching the clouds roll across the sky and losing herself a bit as the light began to fade. It was hypnotic, watching the roiling grey sky trundle by. By the time she thought to go inside, night was falling and it was almost pitch black. She fumbled her way across the room and tried to find the tinderbox before remembering that she hadn’t gathered any firewood today. She supposed it was going to be a dark night. Perhaps it was for the better, as the day’s events had sapped all of her energy. Lying down to sleep sounded nice.

 

Still, now that she was home and the excitement of the festival had faded, the incident from the previous night lingered in her mind. Just as the sun set completely, she padded over to the fireplace in the dark and grabbed her sword, leaning it against the bed frame in a somewhat precarious fashion.

 

Just in case.

 

She lay in bed, staring at the ceiling and trying to drift off to sleep. She was kept awake by nagging thoughts. Every so often, a noise would emanate from the forest outside and she would open her eyes, half expecting something to bust down the door.

 

Such a disturbance did not come, however, and she was left alone in the dark room to ruminate on her thoughts. There was something strange afoot in Pelican Town, she could just feel it. She had no idea what that ‘something strange’ could be, but something didn’t sit right with her. She arrived in town, and shortly thereafter the town is attacked by a beast. A beast that seemed to know who she was and how to get inside her head. She supposed that was partly just the nature of the Wendigo, but it still felt wrong. Unless they were also telepathic, there was no way it could have known about Penny.

 

Unless Julie was being watched.

 

She almost sat up in bed. Now that the thought had struck, there was no ignoring it. It wasn’t uncommon for beasts to stalk their targets. The more cunning and intelligent beasts were known to stalk their prey for days at a time. It was possible it had seen her walking with Penny on the night of the attack. She shuddered in disgust. She should have realized something was wrong. 

 

Ever since she had entered the Valley, she had been party to bizzare magical happenings. The loss of her Hunter powers, the invasion of a beast from a different world, her strange blackout the night before the Flower Dance. Were they connected? Or was Julie simply paranoid?

 

The clock on the wall chimed. How had it gotten to be midnight already? 

 

As if on cue, a torrent of rain began hammering the roof of the little house. Julie heard a low rumble of thunder outside and saw raindrops begin to spatter the windowsill.

 

Juli sat up. 

 

“It never rains on a festival day.” She muttered aloud. 

 

It was all beginning to click into place.  The Wendigo had to have come from somewhere. One of the townsfolk? Surely not. Someone would have said something if people were going missing. An outsider, like Julie? No-one had come into town lately besides her. Who, then? Julie scoured her brain for relevant information, and came up with a very particular memory. Before she had sent the Wendigo plummeting down the mineshaft, she had noticed the tattered  remains of a silk suit emblazoned with two ‘J’s.

 

JojaMart. The absentee manager of JojaMart was the Wendigo. The man was reported missing by his staff and he still hadn’t been found, dead or alive. Passages to the Labyrinth were sitting open in the mountains. Wendigo were said to be formed when someone consumed human flesh while stranded on a mountain. Had the man gotten lost in the wilderness somehow? Or had something happened to him?

 

Julie felt a haze spreading over her mind. Why was it becoming so difficult to concentrate?

 

She stood up and went to the door, hoping that standing in the rain for a moment might wake her up. As she crossed the room, it began to spin. She leaned on the kitchen table for support getting across the room, and used the wall to make the rest of the trip. By the time she reached the door, she had to force herself to stay upright. She felt another blackout coming on, but this time she recognized the sensation behind it.

 

Magic.

 

Julie pulled open the door just in time to see a large dark silhouette disappear in a blur of movement.

 

Something was out there.

 

Julie shook her head to clear it and focused on the sensation of the rain hitting her face. The magical haze lifted somewhat as she was spattered with cold water and shocked out of her sleepy state. She managed to stand on her own as she pursued the creature around the back of her house. It was a bad idea, but Julie didn’t care. She needed answers.

 

Julie saw the branches of a nearby tree rustling, and looked up to find two gleaming orbs staring back at her. She backed up a bit and readied her blade.

 

**CAW.**

 

There was a brief sound of thrashing branches before Julie heard the flutter of large wings. For just an instant, Julie caught sight of a crow the size of a small dog as it took flight from a low branch in the tree.

 

It soared into the air and made one large circle of the house in the air. Then the bird was gone, flying out over the forest. Julie was left standing in the rain, the cloud now completely lifted from her mind. Something had been watching her, and Julie suspected that it was no beast.

 

Julie made her way back inside and sat on the edge of her bed, dazed. She had stumbled onto something big, she could feel it.And now that she was awake, she feared there would be no sleep this night. She sat there cross-legged, her sword laid carefully across her lap. Tonight, she would keep watch.

 

She meditated for a good long time, letting her eyes glaze over as they slowly swept about the room looking for disturbances. It was a technique she had learned back home, when she’d needed to stay awake for a great many long nights. The meditation slowed her heart rate, and let her rest without actually falling asleep. She continued on like this for hours, undisturbed, until the first light of morning began to show outside.

 

The rain didn’t let up. When Julie staggered outside to stretch her legs in the morning, she opened the door to find sideways sheets of water positively drenching her land. The river looked swollen, its waters several inches higher than it had been the day previous. The dirt surrounding her property had turned to a vast lake of mud, and she imagined the roads into town looked much the same way.

 

Julie walked to the side of the house and examined the spot where she had seen the bird. She found nothing save a long black feather.

 

Turning back to the house, she was surprised to find that she had a letter sticking out of her mailbox. Had it been there just now when she left the house? She snatched it up and brought it inside before the rain could destroy the envelope.

 

Julie went to the small wooden table in the kitchen and sat down.She carefully opened the envelope to find a small sheaf of parchment inside. Julie looked at the flowy handwriting and didn’t recognize it.

 

_ “If you seek answers, come to the tower in the forest. I will be waiting.” _

 

It was signed M.R.

 

Julie set the letter down on the table next to a note from Robin and the index card Penny had written her phone number on. She wished now more than ever that she owned a phone. She wanted to call Penny or Maru and ask them what they thought she should do. At the same time, she didn’t want to worry them. Should she go without telling anyone? She didn’t like it, but she didn’t want anyone to worry.

 

Julie ate a diminutive breakfast and sipped a cup of black coffee nervously as she did so. When her meal was complete, she went to her door and opened it to see if the rain had lessened any.

 

That’s when she saw the bird again.

 

It was perched on the fence that sat across the river, it’s bulk somewhat conspicuous against the grey sky. Julie looked at it for a long time before taking a few apprehensive steps in the bird’s direction. It fixed its gaze upon her, but did not take flight. Julie ducked back into her house and returned with her sword strapped to her weapon belt. Just in case.

 

The bird hadn’t moved while Julie was in the house, and it did not fly away when she began approaching. Instead, every couple of meters Julie walked, it would hop a ways down the fence, working its way toward the southern road.

 

Curiosity overcame her. Julie began speeding up, anxious to see what the bird was trying to show her.

 

When Julie crossed the plank bridge that led across the river, the bird took flight and began circling her. It cawed to make sure it had her attention and then suddenly flew off to the south, towards the forest. Julie took a deep breath and began sloshing through the puddles.

 

She had a feeling that she wouldn’t like where this was going.

 

As she passed into the thicker part of the Cindersap, the rain became less oppressive. The tree canopy overhead helped block some of the deluge. The bird flitted from branch to branch, occasionally looking back to ensure that Julie was still following.

 

Soon enough Julie had reached the ranch that marked the edge of Pelican Town, a sprawling fenced-in property with a massive coop and a barn that looked to be bigger than the house. This is where the bird diverted from the path, veering away from the road leading east into town and instead heading to the west, into the forest itself.

 

Julie’s going became much slower as she had to forge a path through the underbrush in order to keep up with the bird. Her ribs occasionally strained in protest, but she paid it no mind. She had to see where this was going.

 

At last she broke through into a stretch of open land ringed on three sides by trees. Directly in front of her, she could see a lake, and across the lake, grey stone tower with a blue shingled roof stood ominously against the stormy sky. The bird let out another shrill report before flying towards the tower and disappearing through an upper window.

 

She’d found the tower, at least.

 

Julie crept to the cliffside the tower was built into. There was a path that led up the hill, and she took it while staying as close to the wall as she could so she wouldn’t be spotted. When she at last arrived at the door, she could see movement inside through a ground-level window. She slowly drew her blade, took a deep breath, and promptly kicked the door open.

 

To her surprise, the door flew open on the first kick. She supposed she had gone a bit overboard, but she was committed to it now. She rebalanced and advanced into the room, sword held defensively in front of her.

 

The room was decorated with magical paraphernalia. Books and potions sat beside one another on the shelves. A broom stood sweeping up the corner of its own accord. A massive cauldron stood in one corner and a large glowing arcane sigil occupied the floor of another. Standing just outside the sigil was a man dressed in flowing robes inlaid with golden trim. His hair and beard were a deep purple color, and he even wore a pointy wizard’s hat.

 

“You.” She said, raising her blade in front of her and advancing towards the wizard. “You and I need to talk.”

 

The man didn’t even have the common courtesy to look shocked that she had just burst into his home. Instead, he heaved a sigh, closed the tome in his hand, and stood to face her. He wore a calm expression as he looked Julie in the eye.

 

“Yes, I suppose we do.” He clapped his hands and the magic runes etched into the floor dimmed. “I’ve been expecting you, Julianna.”

 

She narrowed her eyes.

 

“How do you know my name?”

 

“Oh come now, surely even you can figure that out.”

 

From the rafters above, Julie heard a familiar ‘caw’.

 

“The bird.” She said. “You’ve been spying on me. Your familiar, I’m guessing?”

 

The wizard chuckled.

 

“So you do know a bit about magic. And here I had assumed you were just another sellsword. Yes, Octavio is my familiar. He’s proven to be an invaluable companion when I need to keep an eye on something.”

 

“Why?”  Julie asked, taking another step towards him.

 

“That is a very long explanation, and I shall not give it with a sword at my throat.”

 

Julie hesitated before lowering her blade just a bit.

 

“That’s better,” He said. “I know you don’t trust me, but I assure you I mean you no harm.”

 

Julie looked at him skeptically.

 

“That’s why your bird has been stalking me for you?”

 

“I am not stalking you! I have merely been keeping you under observation. You are an outsider, in more ways than one. Is that not correct?”

 

Julie had a sinking feeling that she knew exactly what he was talking about.

 

“So what if it is?”

 

“You come from a land farther away than some can imagine. A hunter of beasts from beyond the stars. And you were brought here for a reason. I had a… Problem of sorts. And I needed your help.”

Julie was thrown off guard.

 

“Wait, you were responsible for me winding up in the valley?”

 

The wizard hesitated.

 

“In a manner of speaking, yes. I did not bring you here myself, but I used my magic to open a passage to the place you refer to as the ‘Labyrinth’.”

 

Julie’s head felt like it was spinning.

 

“You need to start making sense, pal.” She said, lowering her sword a bit more but tightening her grip on the hilt. “Explain.”

 

The wizard sighed again and rolled his eyes.

 

“Yes, yes, I was getting to that. You monster hunters are so brusque. You see, I am far from the only magical being in this land.”

 

He snapped his fingers and opened his book momentarily. Julie raised her sword defensively, but there was only a flash of light and a puff of smoke. When it cleared, the sigil on the floor was occupied by several little blob creatures with eyes and legs. They resembled multicolored apples brought to life. The creatures scrambled over each other for a few moments before one stepped forward toward the edge of the summoning circle.

 

“Rasmodius.” The creature said, its voice coming not from the blob, but from inside Julie’s head. “Is now the time?”

 

The wizard only nodded.

 

“Very well. Julianna, we are the Junimos. We are the guardians of the forests and the hills.”

 

Julie stared at them. She had expected a lot of things, but bulbous nature spirits weren’t on the list. The blob continued to telepathically speak to her.

 

“When you passed into this realm, we reached out to you, with Rasmodius’ help. You were wandering and lost, and we brought you to this place.”

 

“But why?” Julie asked. She stopped and thought about it a moment before adjusting her tone. “Don’t get me wrong, I am eternally grateful that you brought me out of the maze. But why me?”

 

The Junimos hopped around a bit, discoursing with each other in voices that flew through Julie’s mind as rushed whispers.

 

“Because we needed a beast hunter.”

 

“What did you need a Hunter for?

 

The wizard put his head in his hands and massaged his temples.

 

“I… Made a mistake, and that mistake ended up coming back to bite me. Or rather, it came back to bite you.”

 

"Pardon?"

 

“ Let me go back a bit. I have lived in this tower for many years. I have seen townspeople come and go. I watch them from afar and I occasionally manipulate circumstances to suit my needs.”

 

“What does that mean?”

 

“It means I use my magic to benefit the townsfolk, at a small price.” He cleared his throat. “The townspeople are what you might call ‘thralls’. They provide me with everything I need to continue my arcane pursuits, and in return I cast spells in their favor.”

 

He looked Julie in the eye.

 

“Have you not wondered why the produce from this valley is bountiful every year? Have you not been curious as to why every water source in town is teeming with fresh, healthy fish? Why you have been able to survive by simply foraging in the dirt around your house? This town is an organism all its own. I am the brain, so to speak, and the people of Pelican Town are the lifeblood.”

 

“That’s…” Julie didn’t know how to respond to the wealth of information she had just been given. “That’s insane. You make the town sound like some sort of cult.”

 

“You could say that, yes.”

 

Julie’s head was spinning.

 

“You’re lying. You have to be.”

 

She heard the door open and shut behind her. She turned to find Mayor Lewis, drenched from the rain and standing beside the wizard’s cauldron.

 

“I’m afraid it’s all true.”

 

Lightning flashed outside, as though to punctuate his statement.

 

Julie looked back and forth from the wizard to the Junimos to the Mayor, completely unable to process what was happening.

 

“You’ve got to be kidding me.”

 

“It’s not like you think, Julie.” The mayor said, raising his hands up defensively and keeping his eyes on Julie’s sword. “We’re not some evil shadowy cabal, we’re just-”

 

“A cult in service to a sorcerer? You’re right, nothing shady about that at all.”

 

Mayor Lewis frowned and his mustache drooped.

 

 

“Ack! I hate that word, ‘cult’. It’s so negative! We prefer to think of ourselves as a tightly-knit community.”

 

“Is it all of you?” Julie asked, incredulously.

 

“Oh good heavens, not all! Can you picture poor Penny trying to make a blood sacrifice? No, not all. But most. Everyone that owns land in town, anyway.”

 

Julie started to back away, not sure which direction was safest to go.

 

“Oh, we always lose them at the blood sacrifices. You don’t understand! We’re responsible with our occult dealings. The blood sacrifices bring bountiful harvests and ensure that the town is kept beautiful for all time. A chicken here, a goat there, all raised with love and care by Marnie and humanely put down when it’s their time. We’re not a cult, we’re a community!”

 

“This is so fucked up.” Julie muttered to herself, still in disbelief.

 

“Julie, I know it may seem shocking, but I promise you, we don’t mean anyone any harm. We just need to appease the gods, and Rasmodius here helps us do that.”

 

Julie looked to the wizard.

 

“So what do you get out of this?” Julie asked.

 

Rasmodius pointed to the arcane sigil on the floor.

 

“I built my house here for a reason, you know! Underneath this property is a natural wellspring of magic that makes all this possible. I am provided with what I need to survive and in return I cast spells over the town, using this wellspring as a catalyst. Most of the townspeople do not know of my involvement in their affairs, and I prefer to keep it that way.”

 

Something in Julie’s mind clicked.

 

“That’s why you want JojaMart gone. It was disrupting the town’s economy and unbalancing your little puppet theatre ecosystem. So you needed to get rid of them somehow. That’s why their manager went missing.”

 

The wizard looked impressed.

 

“You’re not incorrect. Although I confess it was not I who dealt with Mr. Morris.”

 

Julie looked to the Junimos.

 

“No.”

 

“We sent him visions of a terrifying future to drive him and his like from our land. He saw visions, terrible visions, of his company in bankruptcy and himself the one to blame.” The Junimos said in unnatural chorus. “He fled screaming into the mountains, and soon became lost in the maze. Weeks later, he reappeared, ranting and raving, in the foothills surrounding the mountains. Something had changed about him, however. Slowly, transformed by something evil, he became the beast you refer to as the Wendigo.”

 

“The beast plague gets everyone, eventually.” Julie said, shaking her head.

 

“We do not know what became of the beast after your confrontation. The mines stretch deep beneath the surface, and our sight is limited to the world above.”

 

“Wait, are you saying it could still be alive?!” Julie asked in alarm.

 

“It is possible, though we doubt it. We have not sensed the beast in our lands since your battle.”

 

“I hope that’s true.” Jule said. That was going to keep her up at night.

 

Mayor Lewis caught Julie’s eye.

 

“Either way, we need you around, Julie. Having you in town makes everyone feel safer.”

 

“You can’t expect me to ignore all this! I can’t believe I was brought here just to clean up your mess!”

 

The wizard took a step towards her.

 

“Would you have preferred to keep wandering the maze?”

 

She snapped her mouth shut.

 

“You were granted asylum, given a place to stay, and accepted by everyone in town before they had even met you. Surely it must have seemed the least bit suspicious.”

 

“I’ve had my concerns, but I wasn’t expecting this!”

 

Mayor Lewis put a hand on her shoulder.

 

“Well, now you know. I’m sorry we kept you in the dark for so long, but the situation is… Delicate.”

 

“You can say that again.’

 

A thought occurred to Julie that stopped her in her tracks.

 

“Do Penny and Maru know about this?”

 

Mayor Lewis sighed.

 

“Penny, no. Maru, on the other hand… Well, she figured it out by age twelve. There’s no getting anything past that girl. She doesn’t get involved with the rituals, but she knows.”

 

Julie let that sink in.

 

“As for Rasmodius, well… His intervention on our behalf is more my little secret.”0

 

“I can’t believe this. Is that why everyone in town is so friendly? Because they’re under some kind of spell?”

 

“I only cast  _ helpful  _ spells over them!” The wizard protested.

 

“You called them thralls!”

 

“Willing thralls!”

 

“Julie, I know what you’re thinking.” Lewis said. “We may have rolled out the welcome wagon a little strong, but the town isn’t being mind-controlled. Folks here are just nice because they are. The fact that we occasionally offer up tribute to the gods is our own business. Folks around here think highly of you and it isn’t because of a magic spell. Besides, you wouldn’t want to let Penny down.”

 

Julie blanched and took a step back.

 

“That’s a low blow.”

 

“I’m just saying! No one is forcing you to stay with us. You can leave at any time. But I know she’d be sad to see you go.”

 

Julie didn’t have a response.

 

“The way I see it now, you have two choices. You could bring all of this to light if you wanted. Report us to the officials in Zuzu City and bring a whole investigation down on the town. I’m not sure what it would accomplish other than making things much more difficult for the folks around here, but you could do it. I won’t try to stop you. Or…”

 

He extended a hand.

 

“You could join us.”

 

Julie just stared at him.

 

“You have a place here, Julie. The people know your name. You could settle down. Raise a family. You have already proven your worth to this town, now let us repay the kindness.”

 

She looked into the Mayor’s eyes, trying not to let her indecision show. He looked like he was being genuine. This all felt wrong, but Julie couldn’t deny that some part of her wanted to agree.

 

“No one gets hurt?”

 

“No one gets hurt. I swear it.”

 

Julie thought of Maru and her parents, opening their home to Julie when she was in need. She thought of Penny, kind and generous, walking her home and keeping her supplied with books to read. She thought of the all the townsfolk who had gone out of their way just to help her.  Robin, Demitrius, Evelyn, Emily… the list went on. The people of pelican town might be a bit unorthodox, but they seemed genuinely welcoming. Julie made her decision. 

 

“I… Very hesitantly agree to this.” Julie said. “Just so long as you keep your word.”

 

The Mayor’s face lit up with relief.

 

“That’s the spirit!” He said. “I promise you, Pelican Town will come to feel like home.”

 

Julie was hardly listening. Her mind had gone into overload mode and she was standing there staring transfixed at the sigil on the floor, trying to process.

 

The townsfolk were a pagan cult led by a shady wizard who lived in a creepy tower. Bad. However, she had a place among them, if she so chose it. Good? If she agreed to keep quiet about the occult machinations going on in town, she had access to almost anything she could want. A home, friends, maybe even a family. People to talk to. A community. So what if they sacrificed goats? Did someone with a body count like hers even get to judge?

 

She shook hands with the mayor apprehensively, certain that some trickery was about to reveal itself. If there was trickery, however, it was trickery of a subtle nature. Mayor Lewis neither tightened his grip painfully nor began cackling like a villain from a Saturday morning cartoon. (Both of which Julie was honestly expecting him to do) Instead, Julie looked at him and saw an old man who looked tired and genuinely relieved. His eyes flickered to the blade in Julie’s other hand. Julie realized she was still gripping her sword, and she reattached it to her weapon belt.

 

“There’s one thing I still need to clear up.” 

 

Julie rounded on the wizard.

 

“I’ll have no more of your bird keeping watch on me. Are we clear on that? It’s creepy as shit.”

 

The wizard looked away.

 

“Very well. I shall instruct Octavio to steer clear of your property. Will that satisfy you?”

 

“Yeah. Just remember that I’m not one of your ‘thralls’.” Julie looked him in the eye. “If I find out you’re up to something-”

 

“Yes, yes, bluster all you like. But don’t do it in my house. My time is valuable, and I think this conversation’s productivity has reached its end.”

 

“Excuse me?”

 

The wizard snapped his fingers and his book fluttered to a different page of its own accord.

 

“Hold on buddy, you don’t get to just whisk me out the door! I still have questions for you!”

 

“Another time, perhaps. For now, your time is up. Good day.” He snapped his fingers again, and by the time Julie heard the ‘pop’, she was back in her cabin.

 

Julie looked around in irritated disbelief.

 

“Son of a bitch!”


	15. Semi-Charmed Kind of Life

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Julie tries to adjust to knowing the town's secret and gets an important piece of advice.

Julie stood in the middle of her cabin, looking for the right combination of expletives and exclamations to describe her frustration. She hated teleportation spells.

 

After taking a few deep breaths to calm herself down, Julie flopped down into bed. It had been an incredibly long day, and it wasn’t even noon yet.

 

What in the painted blue fuck had just happened? If it weren’t for the soreness in her ribs and the water dripping off of her clothes, she might have assumed the whole thing was an elaborate dream. This, however, was no dream. It was all too real, and Julie found herself having a very difficult time trying to figure out what to do about it.

 

Nine times out of ten, when a cult leader assures one they have nothing to worry about, this is what is known as a ‘bad sign.’ In Julie’s case, however, the circumstances were not so clear-cut. Mayor Lewis seemed like a decent man. The townsfolk seemed to genuinely respect him. Was it possible that he was telling the truth? Julie would be relieved to hear it. She supposed that she wasn’t in a place to judge, but it still gnawed at her stomach that she’d been in town this long without realizing something was wrong.

 

But was it even wrong? She had practiced pagan spiritual  pursuits herself, long ago and far away. Even now, she kept the prayers as well as she could. They had gotten her through the maze with her sanity intact. The town performed animal sacrifices, which put them a bit beyond Julie’s level of devotion. Nevertheless, it seemed like they were being as above-board as a cult could be. The Mayor had confessed without hesitation. What had he even been doing at the wizard’s tower? Why hadn’t Julie seen him come in? Could the Mayor teleport?

 

She tried to focus.

 

Okay. The town had some shady practices. Julie was mildly shady herself, walking around with a sword strapped to her hip and enough reinforced leather on her person to clothe an entire unsuccessful metal band. They didn’t hurt anyone, or so the mayor claimed. Julie still didn’t know if she could trust him, but she had a hard time believing people like Jodi, Evelyn, and Robin would be in on something sinister. They seemed too kind to be cultists. Still, looks could be deceiving.

 

She needed to talk to someone about this. But who? Penny? No, that would probably scare her. Maru? She was the only other person in town that Julie trusted implicitly. Maru would tell her the truth. 

 

Julie walked back out into the rain, scarf over her mouth and nose to avoid catching a cold on top of everything else.She was exhausted, and the walk to Maru’s took a long time, but Julie was desperate for answers. When she arrived at the mountain house, she hesitated by the front door. Maru had a door leading from her room into the yard around the side of the house. Julie made her way quickly and quietly over to it, ducking under the window so she wouldn’t be seen. She lowered her scarf when she knocked lightly on the door, and after a few seconds, Maru opened the door with a look of confusion.

 

“Julie?”

 

Julie waved and tried to look casual.

 

“Hey. Can I come in for a second? I need to talk to you.”

 

“Um, sure! Come on in.”

 

Maru stepped back and opened the door wider so Julie could come inside. Julie removed her dripping coat and left it by the door.

 

“Thanks. You would not believe the morning I’ve had.”

 

Maru looked her up and down.

 

“Is everything okay?” She asked, eyeing Julie’s sword. “No offense, but you look terrible.”

 

“I didn’t sleep last night and I’m exhausted.” Julie said.

 

Maru crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow.

 

“Did you come all this way in the rain just so could take a nap in my bed again?”

 

Julie chuckled.

 

“Nothing so enjoyable, I’m afraid. I, uh… Well it’s… I needed someone to talk to. And you’re one of the only people I trust.”

 

Maru’s expression changed from humorous to concerned.

 

“What is it?”

 

Julie searched her head for the right words. She needed to be careful how she phrased this. At last she looked into Maru’s eyes and blurted out:

 

“Do you actually sacrifice goats?”

 

Maru’s eyes went wide for a moment, but she didn’t back down from the question.

 

“Well… Yeah. Yeah, we do. But it’s only once a year!

 

“You don’t think animal sacrifice is a tad extreme?”

 

“It’s… I don’t know what it is. It’s something the town has always done. And we try to keep things lighthearted. No sense scaring the kids with old magic rituals. Every year Rasmodius arranges this elaborate hedge maze that all the kids and younger adults go and get lost in for a couple hours, while the landholders converge in the forest and… Well, you know the rest.”

 

Julie just blinked for a few seconds, taking it all in.

 

“I… Guess that doesn’t sound so bad. Still, I kinda wish someone would have warned me about the shady wizard beforehand.”

 

Maru’s face fell.

 

“I can imagine. I’m sorry I didn’t say anything, I just thought… I don’t know. I was worried you might go and bust his door down if you found out he was  casting spells over the town.”

 

Julie’s face reddened a bit.

 

“I, uh, may have kicked his door in this morning.”

 

“You what?!”

 

“His familiar was keeping my house under observation. He sent me a letter telling me to come to the tower. I assumed it was a trap.”

 

“He sent you a written invitation and your first instinct was to kick the door in?”

 

“I do not trust other mages. It’s like the second rule of being one.”

 

“Oh really? Then what’s the first?”

 

“People will believe anything.”

 

“Huh.”

 

“Anyway, I know I overreacted but I wanted to know why I was being stalked by a giant bird. Things after that were mostly peaceful.”

 

“Mostly?”

 

“He kinda teleported me against my will, and that’s known in magic circles as a ‘dick move’.”

 

“Oh dear. I don’t really know much about him, but he sounds gruff, to say the least.”

 

“I’d probably call him worse than that, but I’m too tired to think up decent insults.”

 

“Did you get what you came for?” Maru asked.

 

“Kind of? I went in to get answers and I left with more questions. And now… I guess I’m in on it. I know, at least, and I told Lewis that I wouldn’t report anything. I don’t even know who I’d report it to. At this  point I’m just trying coming to terms with it. I don’t want to leave town now that I know so many people. And I could do a lot worse than Pelican Town for a place to settle down. I just need some time.”

 

Maru nodded in response, looking a little sad..

 

“I understand.”

 

Julie changed her tone.

 

“Hey. Don’t get me wrong. I still want to see you. I still want to spend time with you. I’m not going to start shunning you.”

 

Maru looked relieved.

 

“I’m glad to hear it.”

 

Julie smiled a bit and caught her eye.

 

“I don’t think I could ignore you if I tried.”

 

Maru smiled.

 

“That’s sweet of you to say.”

 

“How about this? From here on out, no secrets?”

 

Maru nodded.

 

“No secrets.”

 

“Is there anything else I should know about? Like, weird magic-wise?”

 

Maru furrowed her brow a moment, thinking.

 

“Do you know about the little forest spirits that haunt the Community Center? They’re the only thing I can think of.”

 

“The Junimos? Yeah, I got introduced.”

 

“Wow! I’ve only ever seen them from far away. They must be fascinating to observe.”

 

“They’re… difficult to describe. But they’re a brand of magic I’m at least semi-familiar with.”

 

“I’d love to devote some time to studying this sort of thing, but I’m already stretched thin studying medicine and electronics. Maybe one of these days you can show me a bit of forest magic.”

 

Julie wasn’t sure if she was being euphemistic or not. It was hard to tell with Maru.

 

“I’d be happy to.” Julie said softly.

 

The rain outside drummed against the roof and window. It was a soothing sound. Julie focused on it, calming her fevered mind. Maru was being up-front with her. She respected that, and it did Julie’s worries a load of good to know that her friends weren’t just being friendly towards her in order to keep up appearances. 

 

Perhaps she’d judged the town harshly. She certainly didn’t want to leave. What other course of action did she have? She had friends here. She might even have more than that. She didn’t want to throw all of that  away over her own paranoia. She wanted a place here.

 

“So… Are we okay?” Maru softly asked.

 

Julie took her hands and gave them a gentle squeeze.

 

“We’re okay. Thank you for being honest with me.”

 

Maru wrapped her arms around Julie’s shoulders.

 

“Thanks for understanding.”

 

The two women stood there, embracing, for a long time. When they finally pulled apart, Maru fixed Julie with a warm and meaningful glance.

 

“Are you sure you don’t want to take that nap?”

 

Julie’s heart fluttered.

 

“Well… I have been doing an awful lot of walking today.”

 

She sat down on the bed. 

 

“Maybe grabbing an hour or two wouldn’t hurt. Promise you’ll wake me up before it gets dark?”

 

“Promise. Mind if I join you for a little while?”

 

“Not at all.”

 

Julie scooted over and began to untie her boots. Sleep sounded wonderful. And a little human contact was just what she needed after the bizarre events of the day. She crawled into her old spot in the corner of the bed and waited for Maru to lay down beside her. Maru padded quietly across the room and locked the door before turning back to the bed and climbing in. 

 

They didn’t speak. They didn’t need to. Julie was just grateful to have a safe place to rest, and someone she trusted to keep watch. Sometime soon after, she drifted off into blessedly dreamless sleep.

 

When Julie woke up, Maru was already up, tinkering on a large spherical device sitting on the floor. 

 

“Heya.’ Maru said. “Sleep well?”

 

Julie attempted to respond, but the cloud of sleep had not yet left her mind. She mumbled out a few incoherent words before laying her head back down on the pillow. Maru just sighed.

 

“You’re welcome to go back to sleep, but it’s starting to get dark.”

 

That got Julie’s attention enough to wake her up, at least partially. She stumbled to her feet and yawned, stretching out her arms.

 

“Thanks for letting me crash, hun.” Julie said, wrapping her arms around Maru and pulling her into a sleepy hug. “It just felt weird staying at my place.”

 

“I can imagine! You poor thing. You said Rasmodius’ familiar was spying on you?”

 

“Yeah. A crow the size of a dog. I caught it the night of the Flower Dance. I really don’t want to think about how long he’s been keeping tabs on me.”

 

Maru frowned.

 

“I’m sorry to hear that.” Maru said. “Did you confront him about it while you were there?”

 

“As a matter of fact, I did. I kind of got sideswiped by the Mayor and the Junimos and the whole Wendigo thing, which I’m still kinda freaking out about.”

 

“Wait, what Wendigo thing?”

 

“It might not be dead.”

 

“Oh shit! That’s worrisome.”

 

“Yeah. Warn your parents not to go out at night, at least until I can get down into the mines to find the body.”

 

“You’re going after it?!”

 

“I have to. If it’s down there somewhere, it’ll be back to full strength soon. I need to find the corpse and burn it properly to know for sure.”

 

“You really ought to consider switching to fishing, it’s much less dangerous.”

 

Julie laughed.

 

“Tell you what, if I survive this expedition, that’s just what I’ll do.”

 

“Oh, I am so going to make you regret saying that.”

 

“I look forward to it.” Julie said with a wink.

 

She looked out the window and saw the sky, grey and foreboding. The sun was setting, and it was time to go.

 

She wrapped Maru in a long hug before crossing the room and donning her Hunter gear once more.

 

“I have to say,” Maru said, looking Julie up and down. “You do look rather dashing with a sword on your hip.”

 

Julie smiled. She wished she could stay.

 

“You’re too kind. I always feel like the sword makes me look unapproachable.”

 

“It’s a little intimidating, but I suppose that’s kind of the point.” Maru caught Julie’s eye. “Get it? Point? Because- Oh, never mind, it was a silly joke.”

 

Julie laughed anyway.

 

Maru opened the door for her, and Julie noticed that the rain had calmed a bit.

 

“Stay safe out there, okay?” Maru asked.

 

Julie leaned forward and planted a gentle kiss on her forehead.

 

“I will. As much as I can, anyway.”

 

Maru sighed.

 

“I suppose that’s the best I can ask. Don’t be a stranger!”

 

They embraced one more time.

 

“You too, okay?”

 

Julie turned to go, but remembered something and stopped.

 

“Say, Maru…”

 

“Hm?”

 

“You wouldn’t happen to know where I might find a phone, do you?”

 

“Oh, you can just ask my mom!”

 

“Wait, Robin sells phones?”

 

“Yeah. You’ll need to either buy a mobile or have a landline installed at your cabin, but my mom can sell you a phone. She also sells televisions, should you ever be interested.”

 

“Damn. Well that’s convenient! I’ll have to pay her the gold I already owe her first, though. Time to kick the foraging into high gear.”

 

The rain was beginning to pool on the floor.

 

“I should get going before your room floods. Take care, okay?”

 

Maru nodded.

 

“You as well! See you, Julie!”

 

She shut the door and Julie turned for home. She knew there was supposedly a shortcut to her parcel of land that lead from the mountains, but Julie had no desire to go hunting for it in the dark. Instead, she pulled her coat tightly around herself and headed south, towards town.

 

She passed the community center and paused, looking at the faded paint and the missing shingles. From inside, there was a speck of movement as a conspicuously apple-shaped figure hopped up to occupy one of the windows. It waved at Julie, and she waved back.

 

The light began to fade as Julie continued her journey. By the time she passed Pierre’s, the lights from inside were the only illumination on the street from there to the Saloon. She lingered by the front of the store a moment, relishing the light and relative safety.

 

Of course, standing too close to a light blinds one to what lies outside the corona of the seen. As this thought occured to Julie, Mayor Lewis stepped out of the shadows.

 

“Evening, Julie.” He said in a casual manner.

 

“You really need to stop doing that, dude.” She said, unconsciously resting her hand on the hilt of her sword. “What brings you out here at this hour?”

 

He caught the edge to her voice and held up his hands in an ‘I’m innocent’ fashion.

 

“I assure you, I’m just on my way to the Saloon. Would you care to join me? Thursday nights, Gus offers all the regulars a discount. I’m sure he’d be willing to cut you in.”

 

Julie fixed him with a long stare.

 

“You’re serious?”

 

“I am. I don’t want what happened this morning to sour your view of Pelican Town. We’re a little traditional, but we’re a welcoming bunch. All I want is for you to give the people a chance. You might find that you fit in pretty well around here.”

 

He turned, and began to walk away. He stopped and looked back over his shoulder.

 

“Discounted drinks. Just saying.”

 

With that, he was gone.

 

Julie stood in front of Pierre’s for a good long while, reflecting on the Mayor’s words. She thought of how she had snuck around Demetrius and Robin to talk to Maru and felt guilty. The people of this town had welcomed her into their community, and she felt as though she did them a disservice by suspecting them after all they had done for her.

 

Julie looked over to the Saloon, the other bastion of light amid the sea of drawn curtains. It looked enticing.  It looked warm. Julie’s stomach growled. She didn’t have a lot of gold, but she was quite famished. Maybe a brief visit to the Saloon wouldn’t hurt. Just for a quick bite to eat. She took a deep breath, pulled her hat down to protect her eyes from the wind and rain, and began walking down the cobblestone path.

 

When she pushed open the door, Gus greeted her almost immediately.

 

“Julie! Good to see you! Pull up a chair anywhere!”

 

Julie looked around the room.  Mayor Lewis, a man dressed in fisherman’s attire, and the  town blacksmith occupied the tables around the bar. Across the room, Julie could see the redheaded woman she’d briefly met at the Flower Dance and Pam, the former at a table of her own and the latter slouched over the end of the bar. A young man with a drink in his hand stood scowling by the jukebox.

 

Opting to try her luck with the far side of the room, Julie walked over and caught the younger woman’s eye.

 

“Pardon me, may I sit here?” Julie asked, trying not to sound as uncomfortable as she was. For as much as she loved talking to people, it was anxiety-inducing to try reaching out to someone for the first time.

 

“Oh! Um, sure! By all means!” The woman seemed surprised, but thankfully not bothered.

 

“I’m afraid I didn’t get your name yesterday.” Julie said. “I’m Julie.”

 

“Oh, it’s alright. You see so many people at those things, it makes it hard to get acquainted with everyone. I’m Leah. Pleased to meet you! Erm, again.”

 

The two laughed and Julie shed her coat and sword belt.

 

“Oh, yes! I remember you now! You’re Penny’s girlfriend, right?”

 

Julie felt her face heating and she pointedly refused to look in Pam’s direction. In her peripheral vision, Julie saw Pam look up from her drink to shoot a brief glance over her shoulder.

 

“Erm… Not quite yet! I mean, we’re not official. That’s uh, really up to her at this point.”

 

Julie shut her mouth before she began to babble. Leah placed her hands over her mouth in embarrassment.

 

“Oh, I’m sorry to make assumptions! I saw the two of you at the dance, and I just kind of figured. Have you gotten a bouquet yet?”

 

“It’s alright. I, uh… I haven’t quite gotten to working up the courage, you know?”

 

It was half-true, anyway. Julie had no idea what she was talking about. 

 

“Well for what it’s worth, I think you two looked really sweet together. I don’t know Penny all that well, but one of my friends sees her at the museum all the time. She seems nice.”

 

Julie glanced over at Pam, but she was busy asking Gus for another round.

 

“She’s lovely. A bit shy, but very sweet.”

 

“She’s a teacher, isn’t she?”

 

“Yes!” Julie said. “She tutors the little ones in town.”

 

“Oh yeah! Elliot’s quite fond of those kids. Whenever I see him, he tells me about the stories the kids tell him."

 

“So his name is Elliot? Huh.”

 

“Is that strange?”

 

Julie quickly adjusted her tone.

 

“Oh no, nothing like that. I just kind of expected him to have a long fancy name to match his hair. But Elliot is nice too. He seemed like a decent sort for the two minutes I stood next to him.”

 

Leah laughed.

 

“He’s a bit of a hermit, but he’s a good guy. I think you’d get along.”

 

“Well I’ll have to introduce myself properly if I get a chance.”

 

“He spends a lot of time on the beach, when it isn’t raining. Have you been down to the coast?”

 

“You know, I haven’t! I’ve been in town all season, but I haven’t actually gotten a chance to see the ocean.”

 

“Don’t let Willy hear you say that. He’ll drag you out to the dock and insist on teaching you to fish.”

 

“You know this from experience?”

 

“Not exactly. I got out of it by telling him I’m a vegetarian, but it happened to El. The poor guy can’t cast to save his life, and he wound up losing his only catch to a seagull.”

 

“Wow.”

 

“It was quite an afternoon.”

 

Julie felt surprisingly at-ease. She excused herself briefly from the table to go order some food. She offered Gus the last of her gold to order a pizza for the table. When she counted out her gold and found  herself 100 or so short, Gus simply waved his hand and told her that her money was no good here, and called for Emily to fire up the oven. Julie added half her gold to the tip jar anyway.

 

The rest of the night was spent in warmth and relative comfort. Nagging thoughts about the morning’s revelation still picked at her mind, but it was hard to stay on alert when she was surrounded by people that looked like good, honest folk. She sat around with Leah and talked of the forest and its incredible bounty. Emily would swing by every so often to offer her perspective on the conversation before zooming off to serve a drink or prep some food. Pam didn’t say much, but when she did look at Julie, Julie didn’t detect any malice. 

 

As the night wore on, the Saloon’s occupants began to disperse. The scowling man in the corner had shuffled out about an hour previous, and the fisherman and blacksmith finished their drinks and trundled out soon after. Emily’s shift ended, and she opted to join Leah and Julie at their table when the invitation was extended. The conversation topics discussed expanded quite a bit after that, Emily offering her consistently positive perspective on things and Julie occasionally struggling to keep up.

 

Every so often they would fall silent to enjoy a slice of pizza, and Julie would catch the song playing faintly over the jukebox. It sounded oddly familiar, though that couldn’t be. She didn’t know any of the music of this world beyond what Maru had shown her. She reasoned that it must have been on one of Maru’s records and put the matter from her mind.

 

Julie was enjoying herself. Across the room, the Mayor looked up from his drink and gave Julie a nod. She returned it, if a bit hesitantly. Still, she had to admit that this beat sitting in her cabin in the dark.

 

Midnight came sooner than Julie expected. Had she really been here that long? She supposed it wasn’t out of place for her to linger in a food establishment for a while, but the time had really flown. Julie offered to walk the ladies at her table home, and they both accepted. The trio gathered up their things, donned their various coats and scarves, and headed for the door.

 

They passed the Mayor as he drained the last of his drink and came to his feet.

 

“It was good to have you here, Julie. It’s great to see you becoming part of the community.”

 

She nodded, unsure how to respond. Lewis seemed satisfied with this, and strode over to the bar to set his glass down.

 

“You three get home safe, now.”

 

Julie nodded and opened the door for her companions. The three of them made their way out into the rain.

 

“So Julie!” Emily asked once they were outside. “Did you like your dress? I didn’t get a chance to ask you at the dance!”

 

“I loved it!” Julie exclaimed. “Thank you so much for all your hard work.”

 

“Happy to be of help!” Emily responded. “I always love getting into clothing projects.”

 

“Well if I ever need clothes made, I know exactly who to go to.”

 

“You flatter me! I’m so glad you enjoy my handiwork. If you’d like, I could see about getting you an outfit or two, so you don’t have to wash your clothes every day.”

 

Yeah. That’s what she’d been doing.

 

“I would absolutely love that. I’m afraid I need to save up some gold first, but put me down as a definite ‘yes’!”

 

Julie opened her gold pouch and handed Emily what she had left.

 

“Consider this a down payment.”

 

Emily counted the coins and placed them in her own satchel of gold.

 

“Great! It’ll take me a while anyway, so you can get me the rest whenever the clothes are finished. In the meantime, no worries!”

 

They arrived outside a decent sized beige house with a potted cactus sitting by the doorway.

 

 

“This is me!” Emily said. “It’s been lovely talking to you two. I have to go cook my sister a late dinner. Enjoy the rest of your night!”

 

“You as well!” Julie said.

 

Emily and Leah hugged briefly, and then Emily was off into the house, shutting the door behind her.

 

Next stop was Leah’s house, a little cottage out on the edge of the Cindersap. It stood near the lake, and Julie could hear the rain falling over the surface in a chorus of soft ‘drip’s. She noticed the rain beginning to let up as they made their way to the door. It had gone from a downpour to a misting sprinkle. Leah turned the key and turned back to bid Julie goodbye.

 

“Well thank you for walking me home!” She said. “I usually wait around for Emily anyway so we can walk together, but it was nice having you there! A new face can really make a difference around here.”

 

Julie was about to say her goodbyes, but a thought occurred to her.

 

“Oh hey, Leah?”

 

“Hm?”

 

“Earlier you asked if I gotten Penny a bouquet yet. What does that mean? Like, a bouquet of flowers?”

 

“Oh, you don’t know! It’s kind of a practice around here to buy someone a bouquet of flowers from Pierre’s to tell them you’re romantically interested. Everyone in town knows what it means.”

 

“Oh. You don’t just, like, ask them out?”

 

“Well, you do, but there’s a bit more ceremony involved, I guess. It’s a symbol of love and a ‘good luck for the future’ sort of thing.”

 

She looked at Julie a moment before asking:

 

“Do you know about the thing? The Mayor said you knew, but I didn’t hear how you found out.”

 

Julie laughed in spite of herself.

 

“Yeah, I know about the thing. The fall festival?”

 

Leah nodded.

 

“The fall festival. So you do know. I’m really bad at keeping secrets like this, I’m still new to everything myself.”

 

“Well, we can be new together, I suppose. I’m still trying to adjust.”

 

“I know, right? It’s such a headtrip. No one makes you participate if you don’t want to, so I abstain.”

 

“Let me guess: Told them you were a vegetarian?”

 

“Told them I was a vegetarian.”

 

“Right on. I don’t think I’ll be participating either. But I don’t have a decent excuse yet.”

 

“Well, two more seasons to come up with something, right?”

 

“Exactly.”

 

“Hey, come by sometime and we can talk foraging. Summer’s only a few days away and it’s about to be spice berry and grape season. I’m going to try brewing my own wine!”

 

“Sounds like fun! Oh, and thank you for the advice. I’m pretty lost about what I should be doing with myself right now. It’s been a long day.”

 

“No problem.” Leah said. “And I’d go rest first. Get your head together. Then maybe grab Penny and hit the beach if you feel so inclined. We’re living a magically augmented existence and it’s a weird world. Try to enjoy it where you can.”

 

Julie smiled at the idea.

 

“Thanks… I might just do that.”

 

“Good luck! Let me know how things go! I’m a sucker for a good love story.”

 

They laughed.

 

“Can do. Goodnight, Leah.”

 

“Night, Julie.”

 

Leah closed the door, leaving Julie alone to walk through the sprinkling rain coming from above. A hole had appeared in the clouds, and the moon reflected across the lake like a massive luminous jellyfish. Julie walked along the water’s edge until she saw Marnie’s ranch end. From there, she tread the path home with her scarf and hat in her hands, letting the cool rain fleck her face.

 

So what if there was a shady wizard? So what if there were spells being cast over the valley? So what if the town could be considered a cult? They weren’t hurting anybody, and so far they’d been nothing but welcoming. Julie had friends here, and she seemed to be making new ones all the time.

 

_ We’re not a cult! We’re a community! _

 

The Mayor’s words echoed through her mind. A community that she was now part of, it seemed. For better or worse. Still, it wasn’t all bad. She reflected back on her nap with Maru. She wouldn't have traded those few hours for anything.

 

She arrived home to find her property lit up by moonlight. She scanned the fence and the treeline as best she could. Not a crow in sight. She crossed the plank bridge carefully and made her way to her door. It was time to sleep.

 

Julie opened the door of her cabin and looked inside. It was dark, but she didn’t detect anything out of the ordinary. She closed the door and let her eyes adjust to the darkness.

 

As she lay in bed, she reflected on how lucky she was to have wandered out of the maze into Pelican Town. Of all the places to be summoned by a sorcerer, this was definitely not the worst. When she thought about the alternative, thought about still wandering those fetid hallways, any doubt she had was quashed with resolution. 

 

Pelican town had taken her in, and she would be a fool to walk away from all she had now.

 

Julie’s thoughts drifted to Penny. It seemed like ages since she had seen her the day before, but she resolved to not let her findings spoil what she had. Of course, that raised the question of whether or not to tell Penny about what was going on. Julie didn’t want to scare her, especially when she had no proof that the town was anything more sinister than a pagan commune at the moment. Maybe that conversation could wait until Julie knew more about what was going on.

 

Julie’s thoughts began to swim as the exhaustion of the day finally overtook her weary mind. She thought of Penny as she closed her eyes. She pictured the two of them holding hands by the seaside, watching the tide roll in.

 

She would rest, first. Then, a trip to the beach was in order.


	16. Down By the Seaside

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Julie spends some quality time with Penny, tries her hand at teaching, and finally visits the coast.

After spending the better part of two days awake and active, Julie had no trouble falling asleep. As soon as her head hit the pillow, the need to sleep washed over her like the ocean tide. She drifted off soon after.

 

Julie dreamed that she stood on a white sand beach,an endless expanse of water stretching from east to west. She stared out across the ocean and took a few steps into the cool surf. The water was cold, but not freezing, and the sensation invigorated Julie’s senses. She took a few more steps until the rolling tide was about knee-deep. The water ebbed and flowed around her, tiny waves breaking against her as she stood there. She fell to her knees with a splash, eyes still fixed on the horizon. In the distance, waves lapped against the shore rhythmically, as if the world were keeping time with some natural beat.

 

As she stared out across the water, she felt an acute, almost painful sense of loss. She had stood on a shore very similar to this once, a long time ago. She could barely remember who was there, now. It all felt like so long ago.

 

She heard her name being called, and turned to find Penny and Maru standing on the dry sand of the beach, beckoning her over. Julie turned, then hesitated. She looked back across the water at the clouds building on the horizon. There was a storm moving in.

 

Penny and Maru began to sound far away, like a record player in another room. Julie looked back to find them both looking frantic, waving at her with renewed urgency and calling out her name over and over. Julie felt the water receding as she walked, slowing her down immensely. She stole a glance over her shoulder to find that the tide was going out, building into a massive wave that was rapidly approaching.

 

Julie tried to run, but her feet sank into the sand. She tried to scream, but her voice died in her throat. A shadow fell over her as the wave loomed overhead. Just as it broke and Julie was battered by a wall of water, she called out to the Goddess before the world went black.

 

Julie woke up in an intense sweat. Her shirt stuck to her skin and her blankets felt like they were boiling her alive. She threw off the covers and got out of bed, fumbling in the early morning light for her trousers. She needed to go for a walk.

 

After getting dressed, Julie laced up her boots and strapped on her sword belt. She left her coat hung up on the inside of the door. It was too warm for a heavy jacket. She looked at the kitchen, briefly considering making breakfast. No. It would take too long, and the cabin was beginning to feel stuffy. Julie made her way outside.

 

The morning air was refreshingly cool, though occasionally Julie still felt the need to wipe sweat from her brow. A warm wind blew, and Julie supposed Summer was well and truly on its way. It could only be a day or two away, if not here already.

 

She turned when she reached the end of her property and crossed another somewhat perilous plank bridge leading across the river, this time to the north. Julie hadn’t noticed this path before, blocked by a stand of trees as it was. However, in the weak light of day, the way across the water was revealed, as if by magic. This must be the shortcut to the mountains. The road on the other side of the bridge wound its way up a hill, and Julie could see a decent-sized gap in the trees beyond.

 

She opted to follow the road up the hill. It led past a view of the only road leading in or out of town, and Julie could see the large blocky shape of the broken-down bus in the distance. She continued, enjoying the feeling of stimulation in her muscles. Now that she couldn’t rely on her Hunter powers to keep her strong, she needed to get exercise. Given her still-healing ribs, she figured walking was a better option than doing sit-ups.

 

Eventually the path leveled out, and Julie slowed her pace to catch her breath and admire the view from the top of the hill. She had been walking for a good fifteen minutes or so by this point, wrapped up in her own thoughts.

 

A thought struck her. She must be close to Maru’s by now. It was a little early for a social call, but Julie headed down the eastern road anyway. Maybe she would take a walk around the mountain lake.

 

Julie didn’t have a specific location in mind. She remembered the previous night’s conversation and decided that today was a good day to finally see the ocean. It would do her heart good to be close to the sea. And perhaps she’d be able to drag someone along with her, if she was lucky.

 

Soon enough, the top of Maru’s house became visible, the curtains drawn and the lights out. Julie hadn’t bothered to check the time when she left, but she wagered it to be between seven and eight o’clock in the morning by now. Maru would be either still asleep or just waking up. Julie pressed on, entertaining the notion of perhaps returning later.

 

She wished she could have slept longer than she did. A few extra hours would have done her good after the ordeal that had been the previous day, but once Julie was up, she rarely fell back asleep. The fact that she had woken up drenched in sweat hadn’t helped.

 

Soon enough, Julie found herself at the top of the hill behind Maru’s house. It looked different in the daytime. Less ominous and more serene. There was still a hole punched through the shrubbery where Julie had been thrown down the hill.

 

Julie noticed that Linus’ tent had been moved a good ways over from its original position. He now occupied a small nook of land in between the two hills. A campfire crackled in front, and there sat Linus, warming a makeshift kettle over the flames.

 

Julie almost wanted to say something, but she didn’t know what or how. She hadn’t seen him after the Wendigo attack, and she felt guilty that she had not thought to check on his well-being sooner.

 

As she approached the campfire, Linus looked up and started to get to his feet. As Julie drew closer, however, he settled down and sat back. He had recognized her.

 

Linus said nothing, but waved his hand at the kettle he was boiling. Julie nodded and knelt on the other side of the fire. The kettle soon began to whistle and Linus fetched it from its spit over the fire with a long stick. He then wrapped his hand in a thick cloth to protect it and poured the boiling water into a teapot and proceeded to make tea with some loose-leaf herbs from a cloth satchel he had nearby. He produced a pair of tin cups and filled them both with tea before offering one to Julie. She took it without a word.

 

They sat in silence a good ten minutes or so, sipping tea and looking at the scenery. Julie could see the lake from here, and beyond it the entrance to the mines. Despite the warmth of her tea and the mild temperature of the air, Julie shuddered.

 

When her cup was finished, she handed it back to Linus.

 

“Thank you.” She said, breaking the silence. Linus looked at her and nodded.

 

“Thank you.” He said. Julie nodded as well.

 

“You are welcome.” She knew what he meant.

 

She got to her feet and dusted off her trousers. She made to leave, but turned back to speak once more.

 

“The beast is still about. Be careful.”

 

Linus grimaced, but nodded in acceptance. Then he turned back to his fire, adding fuel to it and poking at the embers with a stick.

 

Julie moved on to the mountain lake, walking around its edge and looking at her reflection play across the water’s rippling surface. She passed the entrance to the mines and stopped. It looked just as foreboding as it had in the darkness, but now that Julie was here, she had to make sure.

 

She placed a hand on one of the wooden support beams and took a deep breath to steady herself. She didn’t want to go inside, but she had to. She drew her sword and advanced into the mine, ready for anything.

 

The chamber was dark and silent, save for Julie’s footsteps and the sound of her breath. She scanned the dark confines of the chamber as thoroughly as she could. She saw nothing out of the ordinary, save for a pit off to the side that she hadn’t noticed before. A ladder descended into the gloomy darkness below. Julie reached down and picked up a rock off of the ground, then moved to the empty mineshaft the Wendigo had tumbled down. She tossed the rock and strained her ears, listening for the sound of it hitting the bottom. It never came. How deep did this mine go?

 

Nothing could survive a fall like that. Wendigo were strong, but they weren’t immortal. On top of that, it had been engulfed in flames. Surely, undoubtedly, it was dead.

 

Julie stood in the empty cave for some time, listening for any sound, anything to indicate that something was out of place. Whatever she was expecting, all she got in return was empty silence.

 

Julie didn’t want to be in this cave anymore. Especially with what she knew about there being Labyrinth entrances in the mountains. She turned her back on the darkness and hurried out. She didn’t sheathe her sword until her face felt the warm caress of sunlight.

 

Thoughts somewhat troubled, Julie began walking along the edge of the lake again. Sho absorbed in thought was she that she almost walked clean into a signpost. She backed up, and saw that the sign read:

 

“Pelican Town Adventurer’s Guild”

 

Huh.

 

Maru had mentioned this place to her once, but it had completely slipped Julie’s mind to follow up on that information. Well, she was here now. She might as well go inside, see what it was like. Maybe-

 

The door was locked. Julie noticed a little placard on the wall next to the door.

 

“Hours: 2PM to 10PM”

 

“Oh. Dammit.”

 

She continued her walk. She would just have to come back later.

 

As she wound her way around the lake, Julie caught sight of a building  on the edge of town that didn’t look like the others around it. It was massive, for starters, easily twice the size of any other building around it. It was also painted an inoffensive greyish blue that made it less an eyesore and more of an eye-tranquilzer. The place fairly reeked of plastic and unhappiness. This must have been JojaMart.

 

She eventually rounded to the front of the building. It was just as featureless as the back, though it did feature a small sign that simply read: ‘Join us. Thrive.’

 

Julie kept walking, and she felt goosebumps spring up on her arms. Penny was right. There was something off about this place. She crossed the bridge leading into town as soon as she came to it.

 

The sun was high in the sky by now. Julie wandered through town, weaving between buildings and familiarizing herself with the layout of the town, not really going anywhere in particular. She was just trying to burn time.

 

She found the bench where she had first met Maru and sat down, unstrapping her sword and leaning it against the side. It was a nice little spot to sit and watch the fluffy clouds roll across the sky. She lounged across the bench a bit, since no-one was out yet. It felt good to rest her feet. Eventually, she closed her eyes to rest a bit.

 

It was strange to feel so comfortable in a public setting (though it was hardly Julie’s first time sleeping on a bench) but she did. Maybe it was the strange sensation that she knew everyone in the surrounding houses. Maybe it was the peaceful morning quiet. Maybe she was just tired. She laid there for almost an hour before she heard a familiar voice.

 

“Julie?”

 

She sat up and opened her eyes to find Penny walking over. She sat up to a more dignified pose and yawned.

 

“Am I still dreaming?”

 

Penny turned bright pink and giggled.

 

“I think if you were dreaming, I’d have the day off.”

 

Julie stretched and patted the bench beside her. Penny sat down next to her, and nestled into the crook of Julie’s arm.

 

“It’s good to see you.”

 

Julie gave her a gentle squeeze.

 

“It’s good to see you, too. Am I distracting you from work?”

 

“Not yet. The kids aren’t due for a little while, thankfully. I was just coming out here to read a book before I started teaching for the day. I didn’t expect to run into you, especially this early!

 

“ Mind if I sit here with you while you read?” Julie asked.

 

“That sounds lovely.”

 

They sat in silence for a while, enjoying each other’s company and feeling the warmth of the sun on their faces. Whenever Penny would shift her weight to get more comfortable and then settle back into leaning on Julie, it warmed Julie’s heart. Julie kept her arm wrapped around Penny’s shoulders, readjusting as necessary to avoid her limbs falling asleep. She could have gone on like this for hours. 

 

Penny looked over at her, the sunlight dancing in her emerald eyes. Their faces were incredibly close. Penny began to lean towards her. Julie closed her eyes.

 

“Miss Penny!”

 

The children had arrived. Penny snapped her book closed and hastily sat up at the sound of her own name. Julie straightened up as well, rotating her arm a bit to get the feeling back into it and looking away from the children so they wouldn’t see her embarrassed expression.

 

“Hello, both of you!” Penny said to the children. How are you this morning?”

 

Both children immediately launched into stories simultaneously. Julie was lost almost instantly, but Penny patiently listened to both of them talk and responded to each in turn.

 

“What were you guys doing?” Jas asked.

 

“We were… Um…”

 

Penny looked at a loss for words.

 

“Talking about your lesson today!” Julie chimed in, trying to be helpful.

 

“But why are you here?” Jas asked Julie, helpfully pointing at her.

 

“Because… Because we have a guest speaker for our lesson today. Julie is going to talk to us about… Foraging. Isn’t that right, Julie?”

 

“Hm? Oh, yeah! Foraging!”

 

Penny shot her a look of gratitude, and that made it worth it.

 

“The forests and bushes of this valley provide a bountiful harvest, if you know where to look.”

 

She reached into her bag and pulled out a handful of slightly smushed salmonberries.

 

“If you know how to tell the ones you can eat from the ones you can’t, you can gather your own fruits and vegetables and cook them up at home!”

 

It wasn’t much of a speech, but it was enough to get Penny going on the children’s lesson. Julie passively observed for most of the session, not wanting to be a distraction. Penny looked through her books to find examples of edible and inedible plants while the children wrote notes in the little journals they carried with them. Every so often, Julie would throw out foraging tips or answer one of the children’s questions to justify her being there, and Penny would give her a look so warm it threatened to turn her legs to jelly. This went on for about an hour and a half, and just as Julie was beginning to zone out staring at a bird on a nearby rooftop, Penny announced that there was going to be a test.

 

The children groaned. Internally, Julie did the same until she remembered that she was a grown woman and did not have to take said test. Penny had Vincent and Jas write down questions in their notebooks and then sent them off to work on their own. They each went a little ways away, staying in sight, and sat down on the grass to work on their assignment.

 

“Sorry to drag you into the lesson.” Penny whispered once they’d gone. “I just didn’t want them saying something to their parents. Thank you so much for your help!”

 

“It’s totally alright. I’m glad I can help the youth in some fashion.”

 

“What brings you into town, anyway? I hope I’m not distracting you from errands.”

 

“I was literally just wandering around, don’t worry. But now that I’m here, I think I fancy a trip to the beach. Would you like to join me, after the lesson?”

 

“I would love to! It’s a Friday, so they’ll be done early anyway. I try to give them time to go home and play on Fridays. Do you mind sticking around for another thirty minutes or so? The children go home at  eleven today, and then I have to run home and do the dishes before I go out, but I could probably get them done quickly!”

 

“I’ll help, if you like.” Julie said with a smile.

 

“As long as my mom isn’t home. She’d flip if she saw anyone else picking up our mess.”

 

“Miss Penny, can I have another pencil? Mine broke.”

 

Jas had walked up, broken pencil in hand. Penny withdrew a pencil sharpener from her purse and sharpened the end with a series of quick motions.  She handed Jas back the now stubby pencil.

 

“Thank you!”

 

“You’re welcome!”

 

Jas ran back to her notebook, which Vincent was eyeing in a fashion most conspicuous. Penny called over to them that they had ten more minutes to finish their tests.

 

Soon enough, the lesson was finished, and Penny left for a short while to walk the children home. Julie waited on the bench, keeping one eye on the bird, until she returned.

 

“Okay. So, back to my place?” Penny asked.

 

“Sounds like a plan.”

 

They walked across town to the edge of the river, where Penny’s trailer sat. Penny opened the door and poked her head inside.

 

“Okay, I think the coast is clear. Come on in.”

 

Julie had never seen the inside of the trailer before. The door opened into the kitchen, a compact little space with a stove, a small tiled countertop, and a sink. The walls were wood-paneled and the floor was a dingy shade of beige. To the left was a door that presumably led to Penny’s room. To the right, the ‘living room’ (an empty space with a built-in green couch on one end and a small television on the other. It was a bit cramped, but it had a certain charm to it.

 

“Welcome to my humble abode.” Penny said. “Sit down anywhere, and I’ll have these dishes finished in a jiffy!”

 

“Do you want help?” Julie asked. “I could dry them for you if you wanted.”

 

“Sure! That would be great.”

 

They set about their task, Penny scrubbing and rinsing the dishes and Julie drying and stacking them. Soon enough, the sink was empty and the cabinets were full. Penny dried her hands on a towel.

 

“I’m just about ready to leave!” Penny said, opening her bedroom door. “Let me just grab something real quick!”

 

Penny ducked into her room and reappeared a few moments later with a towel over one arm and a parasol in her hands. She fumbled with something a moment before tucking it into her bag.

 

“Shall we?” Penny asked, holding out her hand.

 

“Let’s.” Julie responded.

 

They walked back out into the sunlight and Penny locked the door behind them.

 

“I’ll have to ask you to lead.” Julie said.” I don’t actually know where the beach is.”

 

“Oh, it’s just down the road a bit from the bench we were sitting at earlier! I’ll show you.”

 

Penny led her by the hand towards the southern end of town. There was a trail leading from the edge of town that Julie hadn’t noticed before. It wound its way down to a stretch of sandy beach, and by the time they reached the end of it, Julie could smell the sea spray in the air.

 

The two of them strolled along the beach, hand in hand. Julie could see two buildings now that they were down here: A larger structure that stood attached to the pier and a smaller cottage on the beach itself. They strayed past both of them, all the way over to an eddy where the sea separated two stretches of sand. A plank bridge crossed the gap to an isolated stretch of sand and water. 

 

“Over there?” Penny asked.

 

“Lead the way.”

 

They crossed the bridge and followed the sand until it ran out. From where they now stood they could see the coast stretching on for miles, the sandy beached giving way to rocky cliffs. Julie could hardly see the structures on the beach from where they stood. She turned to see Penny laying out her towel on the sand. When she was satisfied that the tide wouldn’t encroach upon their spot, Penny opened her parasol and dug the end into the sand, providing a bit of shade. The towel was large enough that they could both sit on top, and Julie contented herself to sit next to Penny and lean on her while they looked out across the endless sea.

 

The were quiet for a while, listening to the sound of the surf and seagulls and just enjoying each other’s company. The waves crashed against the shore, and the sound calmed Julie’s mind. If she wasn’t careful, she might just fall asleep here.

 

Eventually, Penny spoke.

 

“I like to come down here and read from time to time.” Penny said, looking out across the water. “It’s so peaceful.”

 

“It’s quite a sight.” Julie said, only half referring to the view. “I can’t believe it took me this long to visit the coast.”

 

Penny nudged her playfully.

 

“Maybe you just needed someone to come with you.”

 

Julie looked up and caught her eye.

 

“Maybe I did. I’m very glad you’re here. It’s been a hell of a week.”

 

“I know, right? The Flower Dance sapped all my energy, I was basically dead yesterday. Is everything alright?”

 

Julie didn’t rightly know how to answer that question. It was too much to get into now, surely. It all felt like fever dream, and Julie was half worried that Penny wouldn’t believe her even if she told the truth. Still, didn’t Penny deserve to know?

 

“Yeah, I’m okay. It’s just been… Hectic, I guess.”

 

“How so?”

 

“Well… It’s little hard to explain,to be honest. Yesterday was very long. I didn’t sleep the night of the Festival and in the morning, there was an incident.”

 

“An incident? I’m sorry if I’m prying. You don’t have to talk about it if you don’t want to, but I’m here to listen.”

 

“No, no, it’s alright. You deserve to know. I don’t like keeping secrets.”

 

Julie desperately searched for words that didn’t sound insane when strung together.

 

“There’s a shady wizard who lives in the woods and he casts spells over the town in exchange for rituals performed in his name.”

 

As expected, the look on Penny’s face was confusion. Julie had just blurted out a lot of sensitive information, but she was absolutely terrible at keeping secrets.

 

“I… What?” Penny said, looking like she was waiting for Julie to explain that she was joking.

 

“There’s a sorcerer named Rasmodius who lives out in the woods. He casts beneficial spells over the this valley to ensure that the crops are always bountiful, the sea is always full of fish, etcetera. In exchange, the townsfolk apparently meet once a year to sacrifice one of Marnie’s goats.”

 

“You’re… Being serious right now?”

 

“Incredibly, I’m afraid.”

 

Penny looked a bit gobsmacked. She leaned on Julie a bit more and looked out over the ocean.

 

“That’s… Wow. That’s a lot.”

 

“Isn’t it? I’m sorry to drop all this on you right now, I just figured you deserved to know.”

 

“No need to apologize! I can’t imagine it’s easy to keep something like that a secret. I’m  a little blown away that those rituals are still being performed. I’ve read about them in the history texts, sure, but I always assumed it was a ‘back in the days of yore’ kind of thing.”

 

“You’d like to think, wouldn’t you? At any rate, I don’t think they’re hurting anyone. Except maybe the goats. I had a whole conversation with the Mayor about it.”

 

“So… What do we do about it?”

 

“Erm… I think we just try to live normal lives?”

 

“Easier said than done,” Penny said.

 

“Indeed. I don’t know, I’m not entirely at peace with it myself, but so far I haven’t seen anything that’s made me want to pack up and leave town. It’s not as if I have anywhere to go in the first place. So… I dunno. The town may be a little out there, but they seem genuinely peaceful. I’ve certainly seen less friendly communities. I think the best we can do is continue our existence with new information.”

 

“I suppose you’re right. Still… Wow.”

 

“Wow, indeed.”

 

Julie wrapped Penny up in her arms and hugged her.

 

“Thank you for hearing me out. I don’t think I could stand to keep that a secret much longer.”

 

Penny hugged her back.

 

“Of course. How long have you known?”

 

“Only since yesterday morning, but it was kind of a scene when I found out.”

 

“A scene?”

 

“I kicked a door in, threatened a wizard, the Mayor stepped out of the shadows, it was a whole ordeal. Lewis explained, or tried to, but I’m still in the dark on a lot of things. I don’t know if I can trust him, but I trust the people of Pelican Town. I think.”

 

“So everyone’s in on the whole ritual thing?”

 

“Most of the town, not everyone. Apparently participation is optional.”

 

“Did the Mayor tell you that?”

 

“No, I actually heard that bit from Leah.”

 

“Are we the only ones in town who aren’t a part of it?” Penny asked, mildly alarmed.

 

“No, thankfully. The Mayor said it was only the landholders who were part of the ‘community activities’, so that means your mom probably doesn’t know, along with most of the younger folks in town.”

 

“Does Maru know?”

 

Julie hesitated. She didn’t want to out Maru, but she didn’t want to lie to Penny, either.

 

“She does. Apparently her parents are just as bad at keeping secrets as I am. She abstains from the whole goat thing, in case you’re wondering.”

 

“Okay, well that’s a relief.” Penny said. “Still… Wow. Thank you for telling me all this, Julie. I don’t quite know how to react, but I’m glad I know. I think.”

 

“No problem. Thanks for listening.”

 

Penny was quiet for a little while.

 

“You know, if anybody else had told me what you just did, I’d either panic or think they were crazy. But hearing it from you, it just seems to make more sense.”

 

She sighed.

 

“I don’t really want to think about it too hard, but I suppose there’s no avoiding that.”

 

“Well, we don’t have to let it bog us down.” Julie said. “I think we can adapt and live some semblance of normal lives.”

 

“With my best friend in a cult and me courting someone from a different dimension? Yup. Everything feels perfectly normal.”

 

“Oh? Courting, are we?”

 

Penny blanched a bit.

 

“Well, I thought so, anyway! If I have that wrong-”

 

“No, no! I like it. It’s sweet.”

 

They paused to listen to the sea crashing against the shore.

 

“Do you really think things can be normal?” Penny asked. Julie had to take a moment to formulate her response.

 

“I don’t know much about normalcy, to be completely honest. I’ve always been a wanderer. It’s how I wound up in Yharnam in the first place. How I ended up here. I can’t tell you how sick I am of running from things. I want to stay here, in this town. I want to stay with you and Maru.”

 

“Nothing is stopping you from doing that.” Penny said, wrapping an arm around her and giving her a squeeze. “I can’t speak for Maru, but I’m happy to make room in my life for you. You have a place here if you want it.”

 

Julie felt herself tearing up.

 

“That’s very kind of you. I would love a place in your life. And I don’t mind settling here. There’s just,” She paused. “...something I need to do first.”

 

Penny looked at her, mildly concerned.

 

“What is it?”

 

Julie took a deep breath.

 

“I have to go into the mines. If that thing is still alive down there, I have to go and put it down. The town won’t be safe until I do.”

 

“I see.” Penny said, her expression grim. “When are you planning to go?”

 

“Within a few days. The longer I wait, the more of a chance it’ll have to heal itself.”

 

“That makes sense. I don’t like the idea of you going down into those caves, but I don’t suppose I can talk you out of it.”

 

“Thank you for understanding. I’ve hunted worse, I’ll be alright.”

 

“If you say so…” Penny looked at a loss for words. “When you come back, I’ll be waiting. Okay?”

 

Their eyes met. Julie nodded.

 

“I’ll come back. I promise.”

 

They didn’t say anything for a long time. The two sat staring out across the water, Julie nestling into Penny’s shoulder. The breeze blew strands of Julie’s hair into her face, and occasionally Penny would brush them away for her.

 

A flock of gulls flew overhead, filling the air with their calls. The sea roared all around them. Every so often, a dark blob that Julie thought might have been a seal would emerge briefly from the sea to have a look around. It was peaceful, serene even. Julie found her mind wandering far away. Some part of her mind told her that she should be preparing for the hunt ahead instead of making trips to the beach. She told that part of her mind to be silent for a while. She would worry about that later. Right now, she was here with Penny, and that was enough to soothe her troubled mind.

 

After almost half an hour of silence, Penny spoke up.

 

“Julie?”

 

‘“Yes?”

 

“Do you believe in fate?”

 

Julie pondered for a moment.

 

“I’m not sure. Sometimes it feels like the universe is just cold chaos, sometimes it feels like something is guiding it all. To be honest, I don’t know. I’d like to believe that some things are meant to be, for better or worse. It helps, sometimes. Do you?”

 

Penny looked at her and smiled.

 

“I do.” 

 

“Why do you ask?”

 

“Oh… I’d like to think we were fated to meet. Despite the unusual circumstances around everything, it feels… Right.”

 

Julie felt a lump forming in the back of her throat.

 

“That’s very sweet of you to say. I’d like to think so, too.”

 

Their hands found each other.

 

“You know.” Penny said quietly. “This stretch of beach is pretty deserted.”

 

Julie looked around. The only living things to be seen were the seagulls.

 

“I suppose it is.” Julie said, scooting a little closer. “Not a hawk in sight.”

 

Penny laughed out loud.

 

“Not a one.”

 

Penny wrapped her arms around Julie’s neck and fixed her with those green eyes. Their noses were touching.

 

“Is this okay?” Penny whispered.

 

“Uh-huh.” Julie responded.

 

Penny leaned forward and pulled Julie into a kiss. It was soft and gentle at first, both girls hesitating to make sure the other was still on board. The next several kisses were much firmer, and Julie felt Penny’s teeth bite down gently on her lower lip. The rest of the world melted away as their lips locked, Julie’s thoughts giving way to a symphony of crashing waves and short gasps for breath. Penny kissed her deeply, and with such vigor that Julie found her head spinning and her lungs running dangerously low on oxygen. She didn’t care. Here in this moment, this was all that mattered.

 

The two of them didn’t separate for almost a solid minute. When they finally pulled apart, they merely looked at each other, caught their breath, and then started again. Julie hadn’t felt passion like this in ever so long, and she held Penny in her arms as tight as she could. She didn’t want this moment to end.

 

For a moment, Julie forgot about beasts and swords and cults and just about everything else. For a moment, she forgot about being a beast hunter and a keeper of secrets. For a moment, she let herself fall  without thinking of the repercussions. She was just a girl with a fire in her heart and her arms around someone she cared for.

 

And for a moment, that was all Julie needed.


	17. The Call of the Hunt

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Julie prepares to venture into the mines to end the town's beast problem once and for all.

Julie walked Penny home. They stopped on the way so Julie could pick a small purple flower and tuck it behind Penny’s ear. She wanted to give Penny something to remember her by while she toiled in the mines. Penny accepted it with a smile.

 

They stopped in front of the trailer to talk before Penny said goodnight.

 

“Julie, today has been exceptional. Thank you for inviting me along.”

 

“Thank you for coming.” Julie responded, her heart still aflutter. “We should go to the beach more often.”

 

Penny giggled and wrapped her in a hug.

 

“We totally should! I’ll take any excuse I can get to see you.”

 

“You are such a sweetheart,” Julie said, squeezing back. “Give me three days to deal with the situation in the mines. Then I’ll be back and you can see me until you’re sick of me.”

 

“I don’t think you need to worry about that,” Penny said softly. “Just… Be safe, okay?”

 

Julie nodded into Penny’s shoulder. They still hadn’t separated.

 

“I will be, as much as I can. I promise.”

 

Julie could see that Penny’s eyes were wet. She reached up with her thumb and gently wiped a tear from Penny’s cheek.

 

They stood holding one another for a short while longer. Julie stood staring over Penny’s shoulder, gently stroking her back and watching a few puffy clouds roll across the sky. After a minute or two, Penny broke the silence.

 

"What are your plans for the rest of the day?" Penny asked.

 

"I still need to go see Maru, and then I need to round up supplies for my expedition."

"I understand. Tell her hello from me, won't you?"

 

"Of course."

 

When they parted at last, Penny opened her door looked back at Julie to say goodbye.

"I'll see you soon, I hope!"

 

“Three days,” Julie said. “I’ll be back.”

 

“Three days. I’m holding you to that. I believe in you, Julie!”

 

“Thank you. Truly. I don’t know what I’m going to find down there, but I’ll be alright knowing I have something to return to.”

 

Their eyes met, and something unspoken passed between them.

 

“Take care of yourself, Penny.”

 

“You as well.”

 

Julie hesitated before swooping in for one last kiss. Just in case. Penny returned it with delight. When they pulled apart, Julie heard a dreamy sigh escape Penny’s lips.

 

“Goodnight.”

 

“Goodnight.”

 

Julie didn’t want to leave, but it was getting late in the day, and she still had matters to attend to. When Penny at last retreated into her trailer for the evening, Julie began walking in the direction of Maru’s house.

 

When she knocked on the door, a surprised Robin answered.

 

“Oh! Well, hello Julie! What brings you to this neck of the woods?”

 

“I’m here to see Maru, is she home?”

 

“Of course! She’s in her room.”

 

Robin beckoned her inside and she made her way to Maru’s door, knocking lightly. When Maru answered, Julie could see smears of machine grease on her clothes. She must have been building something.

 

“Julie! Hey! How goes it?” 

 

“Not too shabby, if I do say so myself. Can I come in?”

 

“Of course, of course. What’s up?”

 

“Oh, you know… Stuff.”

 

Maru opened the door to show a room with parts strewn across the floor and what looked like a small robot of some kind sitting in the center of the room.

 

“You’ll have to forgive the mess, it gets pretty cluttered in here when I get into a project.”

 

“I’m no stranger to mess, don’t worry.”

 

They sat down on Maru’s bed.

 

“So what’s going on?”

 

“There’s good news and less-good news. Which do you want first?”

 

“Erm, the less-good news?”

 

“I’m going after the Wendigo. It’s somewhere in the mines and I won’t rest easy until I know it’s dead.”

 

“Yikes. Do you have a plan?”

 

“Sort of. I’m on my way to the Adventurer's Guild to see if I can get some torches and/or advice on what to expect in the mines. Tomorrow, I’m going down there. I’m going to find the body and burn it, just to be certain.”

 

“Sounds like quite the itinerary.” Maru said. “Try to come back in one piece, okay?”

 

“I’ll do my best.”

 

“Can I get the good news now?”

 

“Oh, it’s nothing huge, but… I spent most of the day with Penny today. And…”

 

“And?” Maru asked excitedly.

 

“And we kissed. Quite a few times. My heart is still pounding.”

 

Maru’s face lit up with joy.

 

“Oh sweetie, that’s great! I’m so happy for you guys! Also, I totally called it.”

 

Julie chuckled.

 

“That you did. I suppose I owe you now.”

 

“Tell you what. Come back safely from your expedition and we’ll call it even. You can even bring me back a specimen to examine, should you find anything interesting!”

 

“That sounds like a plan to me.”

 

Julie leaned her head onto Maru’s shoulder.

 

“It’s been a weird week.”

 

Maru patted her back.

 

“I hear ya.”

 

“I wanted to see you before I left. Just in case.”

 

Maru’s expression turned solemn, but she nodded as though she understood.

 

“We’ll be pulling for you over here, just so you know.”

 

“Thank you. It means a lot to have friends concerned for my well-being. I’m hoping it’ll be as simple as climbing down some ladders and burning a body, but you never know with monsters.”

 

“I wish you didn’t have to go, but I understand. You have to do what you have to do.”

 

Julie just nodded.

 

“Would you like some company on your way to the Guild?” Maru asked.

 

“That would be wonderful.” Julie responded.

 

“Just let me throw some shoes on and I’ll be good to go.”

 

After Maru got ready, the two made their way outside into the late afternoon air. A warm breeze ruffled Julie’s hair as they walked.

 

When they arrived outside the green-painted building, Julie pushed open the door. Inside was a large space with several empty tables, a storefront, and a crackling fireplace along the back wall. In front of the fire was an old man sleeping in a rocking chair. The place didn’t look terribly adventurous. Julie stepped inside and was greeted by a man with grey hair and a patch over one eye.

 

“Hold there.” He said. “What business do you have with the Guild?”

 

Julie stepped forward and stood up to her full height.

 

“My name is Julianna, and I need supplies for a beast hunt.”

 

The man’s good eye looked her up and down.

 

“So you’re the beast hunter. I’ve heard of you. What supplies are we talking about?”

 

“I need a lantern and several extra flasks of oil. I’m also going to need some rope and some trail rations.”

 

As she listed off items, the man procured them from somewhere beneath the counter and set them on top.

 

“That all?” He said.  “Seems to me, if you’re going into the mines, you might want to bring along one of these.”

 

He hefted a pickaxe onto the counter.

 

“There used to be a clear shot to the bottom of the mine, but cave-ins have made finding the way down a lot more challenging. And be careful where you step, sometimes the floor just gives way underneath you.”

 

Julie picked up the pick and got a feel for its weight.

 

“Thanks. How much do I owe you?”

 

“For the rope and the lantern? Don’t worry about it. I’ll call it an investment in the town’s safety.”

 

“I appreciate that.” Julie said. “Any advice on what to expect in the mines?”

 

“Most of the creatures in the upper levels are fairly easily dispatched. Slimes, cave insects, the occasional dust sprite. What you have to worry about are the deeper levels. No one’s ventured that far into the mines in years. And by my life, I swear those caves are haunted.”

 

“Just what I need. Cave ghosts.”

 

“Do you think you’re up to the task, beast hunter?” The man asked, folding his arms in front of him.

 

Julie hefted the pickaxe over her shoulder.

 

“I am.” Julie said. “I have to be.”

 

The man nodded.

 

“Good luck to you. The name’s Marlon, by the way.” He extended his hand and Julie shook it.

 

Maru, who up until now had lingered in the doorway, stepped up and grabbed the rope and lantern off of the counter.

 

“I’ll hold these for you until we get back to my place, since you’ve got that heavy pick.” She offered.

 

“Sounds good.” Julie said. She directed her attention to Marlon again. “Thank you for your help.”

 

“Good hunting.” He said with a nod. The man in the corner snored.

 

Julie and Maru made their way into the late afternoon sun, laden down with adventuring gear.

 

As they passed the lake, Julie took the time to admire the reflection of the setting sun on the water’s surface.

 

“Thanks for coming with me.” Julie said.

 

“Anytime.” Maru responded with a smile.

 

They passed the mine entrance again and they both stopped to look at it. The passage was cut into the mountain like a gaping mouth, ready to swallow any who set foot inside. Julie was not looking forward to her hunt.

 

When they arrived back at Maru’s, they sat in front of the door leading into Maru’s room and chatted of familiar things. Julie gave a more detailed run-down of her beach trip with Penny (excluding the bit where she blurted out the town’s big secret, of course) and Maru told her all about the robot she was building. The time passed quickly, and soon the sun was gone, replaced by the first glow of the evening stars.

 

“I should be going.” Julie said. “Tomorrow begins a long hunt.”

 

“How long do you think you’ll be in the mines?” Maru asked.

 

“I’m hoping less than a day, but it really depends on how long it takes me to find the Wendigo. If need be, I’ll spend the night in the mines. I told Penny I’d be back in three days, and I aim to keep that promise.”

 

“It all sounds so dangerous… My thoughts and hopes go with you, dear.” Maru said.

 

“Thank you. I need all the help I can get.”

 

Julie turned to leave.

 

“If I don’t come back-” she began. Maru held up a hand and shook her head.

 

“Don’t. You’re coming back, or so help me Yoba, I will go down there to look for you myself.”

 

Julie smiled in spite of herself.

 

“Right. I’m coming back. I promise.”

 

Maru hugged her tight.

 

“Go get ‘em.” Maru said. “I believe in you.”

 

Julie squeezed back.

 

“I’ll be back soon. For both of you.”

 

Maru smiled.

 

“Good to hear. Goodnight, Julie.”

 

“Goodnight, Maru.”

 

Maru went inside, leaving Julie standing and staring up at the sky. She began to walk slowly down the path she had taken that morning, ambling her way back toward her cabin in a leisurely fashion. She took her time, drinking in the summer air and doing her best to avoid thinking of the underground. That was a problem for tomorrow.

 

Tonight, she had nothing to do but prepare. She hoped she could make it back to the cabin before night fell completely. She didn’t fancy using up her lantern oil before she even got to the caves.

 

As luck would have it, her property came into sight just as the last light was fading from the sky. Julie scrambled around snapping twigs off of the nearby trees to use for fuel until it was too dark to see what she was doing, then made her way inside and tried to light her fireplace in the dark.

 

After several failed attempts, she at last got a fire going, illuminating her cabin with a warm glow. Julie laid out her equipment on the table. Rope, lantern, oil, pickaxe, sword. It was all here. Now she just needed to wait.

 

She fixed herself a paltry meal of berries, opting to save the last of her rice for the following morning so she wouldn’t go into the mines on an empty stomach. With her stomach still growling, she locked the front door and made her preparations for bed. She lay awake for quite some time, watching the light of the fire dance across the ceiling.

 

She couldn’t believe she was going back underground. Even now, safe in bed, the thought made her shiver. She had almost lost her mind wandering underground, and she feared what venturing into the caves would do to her psyche. She tried to turn her thoughts to other things to keep her spirits up. The trip to the beach had been nice, even if Julie had made things weird by bringing up the cult. She closed her eyes  and tried to remember the feeling of Penny’s lips against hers. The dizzy giddiness that had washed over her in that moment had almost been more than Julie’s heart could take.

 

Oh, Penny. Julie hadn’t felt emotionally stable enough to consider a relationship in some time, but when she was with Penny it made her want to try. The way she spoke set Julie’s mind at ease, and her smile could light up a room. Julie imagined walking into Pierre’s to pick out flowers and smiled to herself. That was just was she was going to do, as soon as she got back from the mines. That thought would get her through her descent into the unknown, she was sure of it. The girl with the fiery hair would be the lantern to guide her way.

 

Thoughts warm and mind made up, Julie drifted off to sleep.

 

The warmth did not last long.

 

She dreamt that she was lost in a dark cave, running from something and slamming into walls at every turn. She felt claws rake her back and she cried out, dropping to her knees and being overtaken by some dark blur. She attempted to kick at her assailant, but she was still fighting blind, and she only made contact once or twice. The claws descended again, and Julie didn’t even have time to scream.

 

It was dark. She was cold. She could feel a rushing wind all around her. She was moving impossibly fast, she could feel it. The sheer momentum tore the breath from her lungs. All at once, it stopped, and she fell sprawling onto a hard surface. She kept her eyes closed, terrified of what was to come.

 

_ “Welcome home, good Hunter. What is it you desire?” _

 

That voice. She knew that voice.

 

Julie opened her eyes to find herself on a cobblestone path overgrown with moss. The path wound its way up to a workshop atop a hill. Green foliage as tall as she was flanked her on either side, and white flowers that seemed to glow faintly in the moonlight lined the path. Overhead, a massive luminescent moon hung low in the sky. She knew this place.

 

Between Julie and the workshop was a figure of a woman, dressed in fine clothes.

 

“No.” Julie said. “No, no, no, no!”

 

She clutched at her head and staggered. She was becoming dizzy, and she soon fell to her knees. She couldn’t be back here. She couldn’t.

 

The figure appeared at her side, stepping out of the mist curling off of the ground like a phantom.

 

_ “Good Hunter, why is it that you despair?” _

 

Julie looked up into the doll’s face. It was a perfect likeness of a living woman, pale as death itself. However, when it spoke its voice came not from moving lips, but from inside Julie’s own head.

 

_ “The Hunt will soon be upon you. You will need your strength.” _

 

“I got away.” Julie said, her voice breaking. “I made it out.”

 

Even to herself, her words sounded hollow.

 

She felt cold hands lay softly on her shoulders.

 

_ "O Flora, of the moon, of the dream. O little ones, O fleeting will of the ancients... Let the hunter be safe, let her find comfort. And let this dream, her captor... foretell a pleasant awakening... be, one day, a fond, distant memory..." _

 

The words swirled in her head and numbed her mind. She felt herself collapsing sideways, staring up at the moon.

 

_ “Farewell, Good Hunter.” _ The doll said as Julie’s vision turned black.  _ “May you find your worth in the waking world.” _

 

Julie woke up drenched in a cold sweat.

 

She lay still at first, disoriented and more than a little rattled. She turned on her side and found weak morning light filtering through her moth-eaten curtains. She was home, in her cabin. It had been a dream.  Just a dream. 

 

Julie groaned and covered herself with a blanket. She wouldn’t get any more sleep, but she could at least rest for a while. She stared at the window for a long time, watching the light outside get brighter and brighter. The sunlight slowly illuminated her cabin, and Julie admired the way Robin had fixed the place up. The rafters, the new roof, the washroom, all things the old place had needed. She still couldn’t believe it was really hers. Reminding herself of that fact helped bring her back to the present.

 

Somewhere in the distance, Julie could swear she heard the crow of a rooster.It would be time to go soon.

 

The birds outside sang as Julie hauled herself out of bed to meet the day. She cooked up a breakfast of vegetables and rice and ate it sitting on her porch, watching the river. Three days, she’d told Penny. Surely that would be enough time.

 

Julie donned her Hunter’s garb and began packing her rucksack with her adventuring supplies. Rope, oil flasks, lantern, trail provisions, all good to go. Julie strapped on her weapon belt. It was time.

 

She walked out into the early morning sunshine and locked the door behind her.  The sooner she got started, the sooner she would be finished. She began walking down the trail to the mountains.

 

A million buzzing thoughts swirled around her head. Was she just being paranoid? Could the beast even still be alive? How long was she planning to search the mines for a body? And did she really think she could hope to cover the caves on her own?

 

In seemingly no time at all, Julie had arrived at the mine entrance. Wasting no time, she entered the cave and lit her lantern. In the light, she could see a circular pit off in the corner that she hadn’t noticed before. Julie made a mental note to be very careful where she stepped.  A ladder descended into the pit, and Julie had a sinking feeling that that was her way down.

 

She crossed the chamber to the elevator shaft and pressed the ‘call’ button.

 

Nothing happened.

 

Julie sighed. The ladder it was.

 

The wooden rungs creaked under her weight as she descended. She had affixed the lantern to her belt in an effort to keep her hands free, and it bounced off of her side as she climbed. She had done something similar during her time in Yharnam, albeit with a smaller lantern. The flame illuminated the stone walls of the mine, creating a little bubble of warmth in the cold, inky darkness. As her feet touched down on solid ground, she heard something skitter away into the shadows. Too small to be her prey. Nevertheless, she kept on guard. It wouldn’t do to get ambushed by cave bugs.

 

Julie looked around the chamber for a pit similar to the one she’d just come through and spotted one across the chamber behind some rubble. She could just barely make out the shape of a ladder. She would need to clear the way first. She hefted her pickaxe and got ready to smash some rocks. Onward, into the dark.

 

The Hunt was on.


	18. Down in a Hole

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Julie ventures back into the underground to rid Pelican Town of its beast problem once and for all.

The very first thing that Julie did was trip over a slime.

 

She had surged forward, pickaxe in hand, raising the tool to smite the rubble in her path. That’s when she felt her boot connect with something gelatinous. She immediately lost her footing and crashed to the ground, almost spilling her lantern oil. She shot to her feet and drew her blade, but the creature looked more annoyed than hostile. 

 

It was a slime, a small glob of green something with two beady eyes. The slime glared at her as best it could before hopping a foot into the air and landing behind a rock. Julie lowered her weapon. Five minutes down here and she was already getting careless. It wouldn’t do.

 

She grabbed her pick from where it had landed when she fell and began carefully mining her way to her destination. The rubble was easily moved, but it was slow going clearing a path wide enough to walk through. Her arms soon burned from the effort.

 

By the time she reached the pit, she was already sweating profusely. 

 

She hooked the pick onto one of the slots of her weapon belt, where her Hunter’s pistol had once hung. It, like all of her other weapons, had been broken and subsequently lost during her seemingly eternal slog through the Labyrinth. She wished she had it now.

 

She lowered her lantern down into the chamber below, ready for anything. As it was, she saw nothing but rocks. The next chamber looked exactly like the first one.

 

Julie affixed the lantern to her belt and began descending the ladder as quickly as she could managed while not kicking any of the creaking rungs out by accident. Her boots touched earth soon, and Julie held up her lantern to discover the next pit at the far end of the chamber. She began digging her way to it, pacing herself so she didn’t strain a muscle.

 

The digging soon became a mindless process. Raise pick, lower pick, clear rubble. Over and over again until she reached the next ladder. She began descending with haste, and soon found herself in a cave that had few tufts of stubborn plant life, but was otherwise unremarkable. The process began again.

 

She dug for what felt like hours, clearing boulders and climbing down ladders. After the fifth level she passed another empty elevator shaft. She peered down and tossed a rock. She still didn’t hear it hit the bottom. She heaved a heavy sigh and got back to work.

 

On level seven, she stumbled into her first hostile entities. A swarm of what looked like overlarge stinging flies and a trio of green slimes. Julie walked forward, twirling her blade and swinging in large arcs to kill the flies as quick as she could. She hated stinging insects, especially giant ones. As a result of her focusing on the flies, one of the slimes came up and damaged her boot in a manner that was not especially easy to describe. (A chunk of leather came off of her boot, but as far as Julie could tell, the slimes didn’t have teeth or claws or skeletons of any fashion.) She kicked it and sent it flying. They were semi-solid, at least. She slashed at the other two, her silver blade scything through them like they were made of gelatin. It took several strikes to fully incapacitate each one, as they were more than capable of living through something passing through them. When each pile of goo had at last stopped quivering, Julie moved on.

 

Deeper into the mine. Deeper still. She passed another mineshaft and dropped the customary rock. Nothing. She made sure the area was clear and sat down to meditate for a while. There would be no sleep in these caves, but Julie could meditate to recover her energy. It was one of the few Hunter tricks she hadn’t lost.

 

She dimmed her lantern, noting how fast she had almost burned through her first fill of oil. How long had she been down here? It was difficult to tell in the underground. Hours, certainly. It was probably dark outside by now. Penny and Maru would be safe at home, no doubt worrying about her. The thought kept her vigilant. She would not be taken by surprise.

 

She had rested her eyes for almost an hour when she felt that it was time to move on. The shadows in her peripheral vision were beginning to flicker in a manner she found suspicious. She retrieved the lantern and began to climb again. How many layers had she descended? She had lost count.

 

The chambers soon became larger and more elaborate. Once, Julie stumbled across a lonely minecart rail lad led her to a cart full of coal and an empty satchel caught on the edge of the ladder, it’s contents likely lost below. Julie filled the satchel most of the way with coal and slung it over her back. Her load was heavier now, but there would be no want for fire if she had anything to say about it. (Plus, if she survived, she could sell the coal for a profit. She was fairly certain that Robin would take a bag full of resources to pay off her debt in lieu of gold.)

 

At the bottom of the ladder, Julie found several items of interest. An amethyst, cracked in half, lay several feet from the landing. Julie also found a pitch-wrapped torch and several large quartz crystals. Julie felt mildly uncomfortable that she didn’t find a body, but she supposed it was better not to know. Marlon had told her that no one had ventured deep into the mines in years. She decided it was better to recover their belongings if it meant having a better chance of surviving herself. She set about gathering the items up and placing them in her bag. As she packed, her ears strained for any sound in the deathly silent chamber. Something caught her attention amidst the scuttling of slimes. She stopped moving.

 

The crunch of gravel underfoot. Once, twice. It was getting closer. Someone was walking towards her.

 

Her sword was out in a flash, sending the familiar ringing of steel echoing off of the chamber walls. julie glared daggers down the tunnel, holding her blade aloft, daring the darkness to do its worst. She was left in silence.

 

Julie stood there in the quiet and dark for five minutes straight, her eyes scanning all around. She was ready to fight, though she didn't know what she was fighting. More time passed. Sweat began to bead on Julie's brow. Surely, she hadn't been hearing things.

 

She was tempted, for just a moment, to forge a path down the tunnel to confront the noise. She could see the next ladder from where she stood. Would it be safe to continue on not knowing if she were being followed? And followed by what?

She went further and further into the earth, slaying slimes and giant vermin at every turn. As she fought she found herself building into a kind of mania. The thrill of the Hunt was difficult to ignore, even if her prey was insubstantial. She had to restrain herself from rushing after a wayward slime straight into a hole in the ground. She needed to temper herself if she was going to be in this for the long haul.

 

She drank from one of the three waterskins she had brought with her, tools leftover from her Hunter days. She was overheated from mining and sweating like a fiend, but she was careful to limit how much water she consumed. She wasn’t likely to find potable water down here, and she couldn’t exactly boil a kettle.

 

Julie forged her path ever onward, stopping every time she saw a mineshaft to drop a rock. Julie could now faintly make out a sound echoing up the shaft, but it sounded incredibly far away. Julie groaned.

 

An hour passed. Another. She was still digging, still surrounded by grey stone and brown earth. Still freezing every couple of minutes to listen for the sound of footsteps. Now that she was here, she began to regret her decision to venture into the mines. There was nothing for it now, though. She would need to find the elevator in order to get back out with any degree of expediency. She just kept on, taking swigs from her waterskin as needed. She nibbled at her rations as she worked.

 

Julie eventually reached an underground lake, and she briefly regretted not bringing her fishing pole. The waters were murky, but she could see fish swimming about beneath the surface. She sat and watched them for a while, glad to find life down here that didn’t want to kill her. She couldn't make out what sort of fish made their home in the lake, but every so often she would catch a glimmer of ghostly white passing near the water's surface.  Soon enough, it was time to move on.

 

The expedition continued on like this for quite some time. Clear rocks, climb ladder, meditate as needed, repeat. She cleared layer after layer of cave, the scattered mineshafts serving as her only landmark. Eventually, the brown earth faded away, replaced by dark stone. The lantern began to sputter, and Julie hastily refilled it before she found herself in pitch blackness. Julie could swear that she saw figures looming at the edge of the pool of light. Maybe her mind was just playing tricks. She blinked hard several times, attempting to clear the phantom silhouettes from her vision. That’s when one of them stepped forward and took a swipe at her.

 

Julie yelled in surprise, leaping backwards and opening the hood of her lantern to light her torch. The figure did not shy away from the torch, as she hoped it would, so she swung her sword in a swath to cut through the strange apparition.

 

Her sword bounced right off of the figure’s head with a loud clang, as though it was made of stone.She tried a thrust, but she almost lost her sword for her trouble. The figure lurched forward slowly, its feet grinding against the floor. She had never faced a creature like this before. How did you kill something that's made of rock? She wouldn’t be able to solve this problem with her sword. As the golem reached for her again, she ducked under its arms and disengaged, running for the next pit and all but throwing herself down the ladder. Several rungs snapped under her weight and left her flailing for a foothold. She hated these mines.

 

The next hour was spent in adrenaline-pounding silence, Julie frantically digging and listening to the slow, methodical movements of the golems that formed up behind her. She passed the next elevator shaft without bothering to toss a rock, so fixated was she in getting away from the grasping hands of the rock creatures. She flew through more layers of stone, following the twisting mine tunnels deeper and deeper into the earth. What if there was nothing down here to find? What if this was all a wild Wendigo chase? How long was she going to spend in these caves? 

 

The deeper she went, the colder it became. She could hear her teeth audibly chattering. The ground was starting to crunch under her feet and she could see her breath when she exhaled. She wanted to stop and rest, but she feared what would become of her if she stopped moving for too long. The rungs of the ladders were becoming covered in icy frost, and she very nearly slipped and fell several times.

 

She came into a massive open chamber and saw that the walls were coated in ice. The way ahead lie through a tunnel, and Julie had to stoop to avoid the stalactites forming on the ceiling of the passage. She walked for a long time, her back soon beginning to ache from her poor posture. The way down twisted and turned as the earth gradually descended.

 

The tunnel seemed to go on forever. Julie didn’t see another pit for some time. Instead, the tunnel spiraled downwards through ever more layers of earth. Julie soon began to shiver. It was getting bitterly cold, and Julie intensely regretted not owning warmer clothes.

 

By now she was exhausted, dragging her feet and hoisting the pickaxe with labored breaths. She had been up for what felt like days, and the cold was seeping into her bones. She couldn’t stop. She couldn’t risk falling asleep down here.

 

Her torch was beginning to burn out. She wagered she didn’t have long before it went out completely. She still had her lantern to use for light, but it was beginning to run low on oil. She reached into her bag to retrieve her last oil flask.

 

Something caught her foot and she fell forward, almost slipping off of the path entirely. She tumbled to the ground and her torch slipped out of her hands, clattering to the ground and going out as the flames melted the ice underfoot. She was plunged into darkness, and with shaking fingers she began to fumble in her pockets for a match to light her lantern. Her frozen hands had trouble feeling around, but they eventually came up with a book of matches, half empty. 

 

She heard a noise from deeper in the cave. She froze, listening for it. It sounded again, and this time she placed it: Footsteps. Someone was walking toward her, at a decent pace. The noises were getting closer.

 

Julie shook herself back to reality. The matches. She plucked one from the bunch and tried several times to strike it before finally succeeding.

 

The tiny flame illuminated a hollow, sunken face a scant two inches from her own. Julie screamed and leapt backwards, losing her balance and tumbling to the ground again. Julie could hear the footsteps again, coming closer to her. Julie began to scramble backward in the dark, praying to the Goddess that she didn’t take a tumble over the edge of the walkway and fall several stories down. As she came to her feet, she yanked her sword free and swung it in a broad arc. It whistled as it cut through the air before bouncing off of the icy walls and out of her hands, tumbling away into the darkness below.

 

Julie could still hear the footsteps getting louder and louder. They were almost upon her again. She kicked empty air twice as she fumbled with the matchbook, her numb fingers trembling violently. At last she got a match lit, quickly lighting her lantern and turning it up as bright as it would go.

 

She was alone. Her sword was nowhere to be seen, but the same could be said for the source of the ghostly footsteps. Julie wheeled around, looking in every direction for something out of the ordinary. She found nothing.

 

She reluctantly dimmed her lantern again and hurried down the path, anxious to find her sword. As she went lower and lower, she became paranoid. She could now swear that there were footstep coming from behind her, and this made her redouble her pace.

 

At long last she reached the end of the spiral. She found her sword stuck into the icy earth and tugged it free. She kept it at hand, occasionally shifting her grip in a fruitless attempt to work some feeling back into her hands. She found a pit with a ladder at last, though this one proved different than those that had come before.

 

This ladder was made of steel, and it descended straight down for much farther than the wooden ladders above. She lowered herself into the pit, praying that she didn’t lose her grip on the slick rungs.

 

She climbed downward, into a large, cavernous space. Julie could see nothing besides the ice wall the ladder was built into, the glow of her lantern too dim to illuminate the walls or the ceiling. She climbed slowly to avoid slipping.

 

Eventually her feet touched solid ground. Her arms ached and her hands felt numb, but she had at last made it to the bottom. As she shook her hands to try and get some feeling back into them, Julie could see in the dim light of her lantern that she had finally found the elevator.

 

The wooden frame of the elevator was splintered, and the doors were locked in a perpetual cycle of opening halfway and then shutting again. Ice had formed around the edge of the car in many places, and the light inside blinked on and off. When it came on, Julie could make out bloodstains on the car’s interior. She stepped closer, sword at the ready, but she did not find her prey within.

 

The inside of the car looked like a horror show. There were claw marks in the wood and a smear of blood ran from the ceiling to the floor. The roof hatch had been ripped clean off, and Julie could look up directly into the void of the mineshaft. At her feet stood a small pile of rocks.

 

A trail of bloodstains and bits of burnt flesh led from the interior of the elevator to somewhere off in the icy darkness. It had crawled out.

 

She raised her silver blade in front of her defensively and began following the trail. She would find her prey soon enough, and she needed to be ready for anything.

 

At last, the light of her lantern illuminated a large lump huddled on the far side of the chamber. It wasn’t moving, but as Julie approached, she saw its head shudder up and down ever so slightly. Julie reached the body and used her sword to roll it over. Her muscles were tensed like steel wire, ready for the trap to spring. But instead of seizing upon her as she was certain it would, the lump rolled over with little resistance. The light reflected dully in the creature’s eyes as it stared past her up at the cave ceiling.

 

The Wendigo was covered in scorch marks, and much of its flesh had melted down to the bone. Its wrist was still a ragged stump. One of its antlers had snapped off and half of its snout was a mess of twisted, burnt flesh. As Julie looked upon it, its mouth slowly opened. When it spoke, it sounded almost human. Julie heard the voice of a man, warped and distorted but still nasal and sharp.

 

“Hunter,” it said. “You have come to kill me.”

 

She stood silent for a moment.

 

“I have.” Julie said after a long while. “I can’t let you live, Morris.”

 

The Wendigo let out something that was either a laugh or a cough.

 

“Morris. That was my name.” The Wendigo paused. “You have been a long time.”

 

Julie stood there in silence.

 

“Do you know loss, Hunter?”

 

Another long silence.

 

“I do.”

 

The beast cough-laughed again. It began to speak.

 

“I had it all, once. Money… Prestige… Corporate sponsorship… It seems so far away now.”

 

A horrible choking sound emanated from the beast’s throat. It might have been crying.

 

Julie spoke, trying her best to keep her tone even.

 

“It’ll all be over soon.” 

 

Julie reached into her bag and retrieved her last flask of oil. 

 

“Wait.” The beast said. “It doesn’t have to be like this. We can come to an understanding!”

 

She could hear the fear in its voice. Her gaze remained hard as stone. She opened the flask.

 

“I can give you anything you want! Do you want money? I can give you as much money as you please!”

 

The gutteral growl in the creature’s voice was gone, replaced by the voice of a man pleading for his life.

 

Without another word, Julie doused the beast in accelerant making sure to cover its hideous head. The Wendigo twitched and spasmed as the oil soaked into its wounds. Julie thought she was going to be sick.

 

Julie wasn’t sure what she’d been expecting when she’d descended into the mines. A climactic showdown against a vicious beast? Some kind of good vs. evil power struggle? A heroic tale to tell when she returned to town? Whatever it was, it wasn’t this. Her prey could not run, nor fight back. This was just pitiful.

 

“Please.” It said. “Please.”

 

Julie simply shook her head. Morris was too far gone, there would be no saving him now. As he repeated his plea over and over, the bestial growls began to come back. Julie steeled herself for what she had to do.

 

She lit a match and watched the tiny flame burn for just a moment before dropping it onto the oil-covered beast before her. The flames leapt up with unnatural zeal, spreading across the Wendigo’s limp form  and filling the chamber with a foul stench. Julie covered her mouth and nose with her scarf. 

 

The beast began to scream, filling the chamber with echoing cries of pain. Julie stepped forward and lopped its head off with a stroke of her silver blade. It fell to the ground, and Julie ran her sword through it, just to be sure she had destroyed the brain.

 

With the chamber now deathly silent and Julie covered in stinking beast blood, there was nothing to do now but let the fire do its work.

 

She meditated on the opposite end of the chamber until the flames died down, doing her best to avoid breathing in the sickly stench of burning flesh and fur. 

 

When the matter was at last finished, Julie came to her feet and began the unenviable task of cutting the Wendigo’s charred remains into bits to ensure it was as dead as dead could be. When she pulled on a limb, it came off completely, the skeleton of the beast little more than dust now. She had to stop herself several times from retching, and she worked with the fervor of one who wants to be done with a job as fast as humanly possible. The work of a Hunter was a grisly business, and Julie took no joy in it. Soon, but not soon enough, there was little more than a pile of charred bones to hint at the monstrosity that had come before.

 

Julie turned and walked slowly back to the elevator, covered in blood and ash. Her duty was done, and the beast was no more. It was time to head back home.

 

Julie examined the ice that had formed along the sides and top of the elevator car. She gave some of the thicker sections a good thwack with her sword and they shattered into thousands of freezing pieces. Flecks of ice rained down on Julie as she worked, but she hardly felt them. She was so tired. She just wanted to go home.

 

With the rails cleared, there was nothing left to do but try using the elevator. After a moment’s hesitation, Julie slipped inside the car and pressed the top button, trying not to look at the blood smeared on the wall behind her. The car lurched, and for one horrible second Julie was certain she was going to plunge downward to her doom. However, with a great grinding of metal and splintering of wood, the elevator broke through the ice surrounding it and began to ascend.

 

The elevator rattled and groaned all the way up, (and it was a long way up) but at long, long last Julie saw sunlight.

 

She emerged into the mine entrance chamber and shielded her eyes from the light coming in from outside. The elevator rattled to a halt and dinged cheerfully. The doors didn’t open all the way, but Julie managed to shimmy through. 

 

It was over. She had done it.

 

She emerged out into the light of the setting sun, blinking and squinting. How long had she been in the mines? A day? Two?

 

As soon as she came upon green grass, Julie fell to her knees and said a prayer of thanks. The dying sunlight painted the sky a beautiful shade of orange, and she gazed up at it, grateful to see the sky again. She stayed there a few more minutes before she came to her feet and began walking the road to Maru’s, leaving the mine and the Hunt behind her.


	19. Blinded by the Light

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Julie prepares for a night out with Penny.

She staggered down the path, looking out over the lake and smiling to herself in spite of the ordeal she had just been through. It felt so good to breath fresh air again.

 

When she passed the mountain house, Maru was out in front of her room with her telescope. As soon as she saw Julie, she called out her name and rushed over. Julie held up her hands to indicate that she was covered in blood and soot, but Maru hugged her regardless.

 

“I was so worried about you!” Maru declared. “Thank Yoba you’re back!”

 

“I am. So tired,” Julie groaned.

 

“I can imagine! Were you awake that whole time? You’ve been gone two days!”

 

Two days, she had spent underground. Julie almost wanted to say it hadn’t felt that long, but she stopped herself. It really had.

 

“I need to get home and shower, then sleep. But could you call Penny and let her know I’m okay?”

 

Maru smiled and nodded.

 

“Of course. I’m sure she’ll be delighted to hear it.”

 

“Thank you.”

 

“Mind if I walk with you part of the way?”

 

“Not at all. It’s been a lonely two days.”

 

“Where are you headed?” Maru asked. “Your place?”

 

“Actually, not quite yet. I have a few things I need to do. Is your mom home?”

 

“Mom?” Maru looked confused. “Yeah, I think so. Why?”

 

Julie held up her bag, brimming with coal.

 

“I have a few things to sell.”

 

Robin was happy to accept payment in natural resources, and Julie even made herself a little extra money on the deal. For her fifty-odd lumps of coal, she received just over 1,000 gold. (Which Julie suspected was more than it was worth) She paid half of it to Robin to go towards her house debt and kept the other half for more personal pursuits. 

 

While she was now certain that she would never finish shaking coal dust out of her bag, Julie was happy with the proceedings. She just had one more stop to make.

 

Maru accompanied Julie into town, and Julie told her of her harrowing trip through the mines. Maru listened attentively, occasionally exclaiming when appropriate. Julie was glad to be here with her. Her feet ached like there was no tomorrow but she kept herself walking nevertheless.

 

The look on Pierre’s face when Julie strode in covered in blood and monster ashes was almost worth the trip alone. Maru walked into the shop first and Pierre got halfway through greeting her when he caught sight of Julie.

 

“Maru! How nice to see you agai- Sweet Yoba! Julie! Are you- Is everything- Is that blood?”

 

“Evening, Pierre. I have had a very long day. Show me your flower arrangements, if it’s not too much trouble.”

 

Pierre looked at her as though he couldn’t believe she was serious. After a moment he seemed to register her question and pointed to a glass case next to the counter. 

 

“Thanks!” Julie strode over and began looking at the various bouquets. “I’ll let you know once I’ve decided.”

 

She and Maru looked at the blooming bouquets.

 

“Hmm…” Julie pondered. “I like quite a few of them. But which one would Penny like best?”

 

“Sweetie, at this point you could hand her a fistful of dandelions and she would be thrilled. But if you want my opinion, go with these.”

 

She pointed at one of the bouquets near the edge of the display case. It was comprised of flowers Julie didn’t recognize, but it was lovely nevertheless. The petals were red with streaks of yellow through them, getting brighter and more vibrant near the edge of the petals. They looked like tiny blooms of fire.

 

“Oh, those are perfect. Pierre, could I get this bouquet here, the red and yellow one?”

 

He had seemingly gotten over his shock by slipping back into his salesman routine.

 

“Sure thing! That’s a fine set of flowers. Got your eye on someone special, eh?”

 

Julie nodded.

 

“Indeed I do.”

 

As Pierre retrieved the small vase full of flowers, Abigail opened the front door and walked into the store.

 

“Hey, Dad. Hey, Julie. Hey, Maru,” Abigail said. “How’s things?”

 

Her eyes fell onto the flowers.

 

“Oh, I see. Are those for Penny? I thought you two were already together.”

 

Julie’s face went red.

 

“Not quite yet. I’m working on it.”

 

Abigail was now close enough that she could smell the smoke and blood that hung thick on Julie’s clothes. Her eyes widened and she looked from Julie’s face to her sword and back several times.

 

“Did you just come back from a hunt?” Abigail asked.

 

“As a matter of fact, yes. I’ll tell you all about it some other time.”

 

Abigail looked like she wanted to ask more questions, but she didn’t pry. Pierre gave his daughter a look before handing the vase of flowers to Julie.

 

“Thanks.” she said. “How much do I owe you?”

 

“200 gold.”

 

Julie counted out the sum from her gold pouch and handed it to Pierre, who deposited it in the cash register.

 

“Much obliged. I’ll see you folks later, I’m going to go home and get some rest.”

 

Maru opened the door for her and they walked out into the warm evening air. Maru walked her as far as the town square and then turned around to head for home. They shared one more embrace, blood and soot be damned, before Maru said goodnight. Julie walked home slowly.

 

The stars shined in the sky and a warm breeze blew as Julie made her way home, flowers in hand. It was a fine night for a walk, and Julie found herself staring up at the moon as she wound her way down the path that led to home.

 

Home. She was going home.

 

She unlocked her door with tired, fumbling hands. A shaft of moonlight came in through the window, lighting her way to the shower. She’d left her coat hanging outside, and she tossed the rest of her garments in a heap on the floor outside the restroom. She wanted to sleep, but she was in desperate need of a good scrub.

 

Julie stood under the current of warm water, basking in the glorious feeling of returning home safe from the Hunt. It was not a feeling most Hunters were privileged enough to know.  The things she had seen in the caves still haunted her, and she feared they would for some time to come. Regardless, she had survived to see another day. All things considered, she had done okay.

 

She thought of Maru, so excited to see her home safe that she had covered her own clothes with soot and grime just to give her a hug. She thought of Penny, and how thrilled she would be when Julie next saw her. 

 

For the first time in a long while, the future looked bright.

 

As she dried off and prepared for bed, she could feel the cloud of sleep settling over her mind.  She had been awake far too long, and her thoughts were beginning to short-circuit.

 

Sleep. It was time for sleep.

 

Julie crashed into bed and curled up under a blanket. She said a brief prayer in silence before drifting off to sleep.

 

The next afternoon, when she finally dragged herself out of bed, Julie found a letter tucked into her mailbox. Inside the envelope was a piece of paper with a short message written across the top.

 

_ “Meet me at the bathhouse after dark.” - Penny _

 

Julie was tickled pink at the concept of a clandestine meeting with Penny. There was just one problem: Julie had no idea where the bathhouse was. Julie hadn’t even been aware that Pelican Town had a bathhouse. Nevertheless, it was an exciting prospect, and she had all day to figure it out.

 

She had slept until three in the afternoon, so she didn’t have long to wait. Still, she needed to do something in order to pass the time. She paced around her cabin a while, unsure what to do with herself. She didn’t want to go back to sleep, that much was for certain. She had slept dreamlessly for the first time in a while, and she didn’t want to push her luck. Instead she set about tidying up her living space, cleaning  the dishes that had been left there for several days. This accomplished, she wet a rag and began cleaning the windows.

 

She took a shower just to pass the time, and burned the better part of an hour singing and giving her hair a thorough washing.

 

With her living space straightened up and her hair as clean as she was going to get it, Julie checked the time. It was just before five. She had another two or three hours until it would be properly dark 

 

Julie paced the length of her cabin, equal parts excited and jittery. Why was she so nervous? Her eyes fell onto the vase of flowers sitting on the table.

 

Oh. That was why.

 

Julie could stare down a dozen beasts before breakfast, but the idea of asking Penny to be hers scared her just a bit. At the same time, it filled her with a dizzy kind of anticipation. She wanted to. She was ready. She just wasn’t sure how to go about it.

 

First things first: figuring out where the bathhouse was. She had a few more hours of sunlight to burn, so she opted to head into town to consult the map that was pinned to the notice board. She began making her way down the path to town, stopping now and again to pick spice berries from the bushes. She made it into town as the sky was beginning to turn orange.

 

She consulted the notice board out in front of Pierre’s. Attached to the wooden post was a map of the town, and Julie studied it with scrutiny. She spotted a tiny label that read ‘Bathhouse’ underneath a building that looked to be north of Maru’s house. Julie studied the path as best she could on the map, figuring out the  route she would take after the sun went down. She still needed to retrieve the flowers from her cabin, but she had another hour or two left.

 

Julie made small talk with several of the townsfolk as she passed through the square. Though she didn’t linger long, Julie picked up on some town gossip and got promised several recipes before she was able to socially detangle herself and head for home.

 

By the time Julie reached her cabin, the sun had slunk low in the sky and had all but disappeared from view behind the mountains. It would be time to go soon.

 

Julie gave herself a quick once-over in the mirror to make sure she looked presentable. Her hair was a bit of a mess, and she ran her fingers through it to remove the tangles as best she could. When she was satisfied with her appearance, she walked out into her living room and picked up the vase of flowers.

 

The evening air was warm and inviting, and Julie began to sweat as she crossed the river heading for the shortcut to the mountains. The sky was clear and full of stars, and Julie looked up at them as she walked.

 

Julie passed Maru’s house, somewhat surprised that she wasn’t out stargazing on a night like this. She stopped and looked around for the path that lead north. At last she spotted a set of wooden steps protruding from the dirt, leading up the hill a short ways. Julie followed the path.

 

She discovered an open area with a railway running through it. A large building with a glass roof sat to one side, a sign above the door marking it as the bathhouse. Julie paused outside the door, her nerves beginning to get the best of her. She hadn’t done something like this in a long time.

 

Julie pushed open the door and found herself in a small empty lobby with doors leading to the men’s and women’s locker rooms. Julie entered the women’s room, a blue-tiled space with a stand of lockers and a hallway leading to the back. Julie opened one of the lockers that didn’t have a combination lock on it and set her vase of flowers inside. They would be safe enough here until the moment was right.

 

Looking around, she saw nobody. Was Penny already inside? Julie walked down the hall and peeked her head around the corner. She could see the restroom facilities and showers from here, but she didn’t see any sign of Penny. Julie paced back and forth a bit, not sure what to do. Should she wait here? What if Penny had gotten here first and was waiting on her? How had she gotten this far without realizing she didn’t own a bathing suit?

 

Julie looked around the corner, and from where she now stood she could see the exit that led from the locker room to a steamy enclosure with a large pool. In the pool, she could see a familiar head of red hair.

 

Okay, so Penny had gotten here first. She was waiting. Julie could feel her heart hammering against her sore ribs. She looked around the locker room helplessly for a moment before coming to a decision.

 

“Ah, to hell with it.”

 

She pulled her shirt over her head and wiggled out of her trousers. Her undergarments were more functional than flattering, but they would have to do. She went back and placed her clothes in the locker beside the flowers before padding her way back to the sinks. She looked in the mirror at her still somewhat skeletal frame and the scars that covered her body and for a moment felt like putting her clothes back on and hurrying out before she made a fool of herself. However, the knowledge that Penny was waiting for her inside steeled her resolve. She put on her best look of confidence before slowly walking toward the steam.

 

When she entered the bathing area, Penny saw her and waved. She was half submerged in water, but Julie could see she was wearing a frilly blue two-piece bathing suit.

 

“Julie! There you are! I was beginning to worry you hadn’t got my note.”

 

Julie saw Penny’s eyes give her a once-over, her gaze lingering in several spots.

 

“I wouldn’t miss this for the world.” Julie said, taking a step into the warm water. “I hope I didn’t keep you waiting too long.”

 

“The wait was more than worth it.” Penny said. “It’s good to see you. Now get in here so I can give you a proper hug!”

 

Julie stepped forward into the bath, letting the warmth spread across her entire body. Gooseflesh sprung up on her arms. She waded through the water and folded her arms around Penny, holding on for a good long while.

 

“I’m so glad you’re safe.” Penny said. “Is it over?”

 

Julie nodded.

 

“It is. I’m back for good.”

 

Penny squeezed her tighter.

 

“I can’t tell you how glad I am to hear that.”

 

They parted just a bit, looking into each other’s eyes and trying to find their words.

 

“Thanks for inviting me out tonight.” Julie said. “I would have never known this place existed, were it not for you.”

 

“Thanks for coming. Maru called me last night to tell me you’d come home safe and I just knew I had to see you.”

 

Penny gestured to their surroundings.

 

“I wanted us to have somewhere nice and private to talk.”

 

Julie smiled at her cheekily.

 

“I think you just wanted to see me in my underwear.”

 

Penny’s eyes widened and she let out a sputter.

 

“That’s- You- I mean, you’re not  _ wrong _ , I just…” She looked away out of embarrassment and took a deep breath, her face going redder than her hair. “I wanted to talk about us.”

 

Julie brushed Penny’s hair aside so she could look her in the eyes. 

 

“I’m all ears, my dear. What’s on your mind?”

 

Julie wrapped her arms around Penny’s waist. Penny giggled.

 

“You, you goose! I haven’t been able to stop thinking about you. When we’re not together, I look forward to the next time I get to see you. I keep remembering our trip to the beach and it makes my heart leap  every time I think of it. You make me feel safe when we’re together and I feel like I can talk to you about anything. I talk to my mom about you, for goodness’ sakes! I…”

 

She hesitated.

 

“I think I’ve fallen for you.”

 

Julie felt her eyes beginning to tear up. She opened her mouth to speak but couldn’t find her voice for a moment. When she finally spoke, her voice was very soft.

 

“I feel the same way. You are a joy to be around and you’ve been on my mind since the day we met on the bridge. I still can’t believe I got so lucky.”

 

Penny giggled again.

 

“I guess that makes two of us.”

 

They stood looking at each other for a moment more.

 

“Oh, Julie.” Penny said. “You look so beautiful tonight. I-”

 

The rest of her sentence was cut off by a small gasp as Julie chose that moment to lean in for a kiss. Penny returned it with vigor, leaning in and putting her hands on Julie’s shoulders for support. The two of them were locked together for some time, only pausing to gasp for breath. When they separated, Julie’s head was spinning and a great goofy grin was spread across her face. Penny looked much the same,  flustered but beaming.

 

It went on like this for some time, the two enjoying their moment of love and solitude. Julie felt more peaceful than she had in ages. Penny held onto her like she was lost at sea, and Julie ran her fingers gently down Penny’s back, lightly grazing her skin with the tips of her fingernails. Penny shivered and gasped at the touch.

 

Julie had no idea how much time passed, and she didn’t much care. She and Penny would alternate between soaking in the hot water and sitting by the edge of the pool so they wouldn’t overheat. They didn’t talk much, but they didn’t need to. Julie was just happy to be here.

 

Eventually, Penny began to yawn.

 

“My goodness, how long have we been here? I completely lost track of the time.”

 

“I wonder why that could be.” Julie said, feigning innocence. Penny looked her up and down again, taking in the sight with an admiration that made Julie blush.

 

“I wonder, indeed.” She stretched and yawned again. “Shall we?”

 

Penny pointed over to two towels that sat off to the side of the pool. Julie was touched that Penny had thought to bring one for her.

 

“Sure thing.”

 

Julie dried off as best she could, though her garments remained damp. She wrapped the towel around herself and took Penny’s hand as they made their way back towards the locker room.

 

Okay. It was almost time. Julie felt her pulse speed up as they reached their lockers. Julie rehearsed several opening lines in her head, searching for one that didn’t feel ridiculous.

 

“Penny.” Julie said. “I have something I’d like to ask you.”

 

“Oh?” Penny replied. “As a matter of fact, I have a question for you as well.”

 

“Would you like to go first?”

 

“I’m not quite sure how to phrase it. You can go ahead.”

 

Penny looked away a moment, fussing with the combination of her locker. When the lock clicked open, she pulled it from its spot and hesitated before opening the locker.

 

Julie opened her own locker and reached in, feeling her fingers close around the cool glass of the vase. It was time. She was ready.

 

“Why don’t we ask at the same time?” Julie suggested. She felt her nerves melting as her resolve set in. 

 

“Okay.” Penny responded. “On three?”

 

“Sure.”

 

“One…”

 

“Two…”

 

“Three!”

 

“Will you be my girlfriend?” They asked in unison.

 

Both let out a small gasp as the other produced a bouquet of flowers from their locker. 

 

Penny’s bouquet was a lovely selection of purple blooms augmented by little white flowers. Penny held them in trembling hands, a smile blooming across her face. Julie felt a foolish grin of her own coming on,  and she met Penny’s glance as they exchanged bouquets.

 

“Yes.” Julie said softly.

 

“Yes.” Penny echoed.

 

The girls set their flowers aside so they could embrace properly, throwing their arms around one another and squeezing for all they were worth. Julie’s ribs protested but she didn’t care. Here, in this moment, this was all that mattered.

 

When they parted, Penny examined her bouquet.

 

“Oh, Julie. These are so lovely! And they’re two of my favorite colors! How did you know?”

 

Julie smiled sheepishly.

 

“I’m afraid I can’t take all the credit. I had Maru come with me and help me pick them out.”

 

Penny burst out laughing.

 

“You too?”

 

Julie felt herself going pink.

 

“I’m not good at picking out flowers!”

 

“Don’t worry, I think it’s cute. So does she.”

 

Maru. Julie had been so swept up in the moment, she had almost forgot.

 

“Oh, speaking of Maru, there’s something I need to say before we take this any further.”

 

“You also have feelings for Maru?” Penny said before Julie could. Julie’s eyebrows shot up and she stammered a bit.

 

“Erm, yes. How did you-”

 

“She’s my best friend and we’re interested in the same person. It’s come up once or twice.”

 

Julie supposed she should have seen that coming.

 

“Fair enough. It doesn’t bother you that I’m polyamorous?”

 

Penny shook her head.

 

“Not at all! It’s not that uncommon a practice in this region. As long as we can discuss the subject open and honestly, it doesn’t bother me one bit.”

 

Julie felt a weight move from off of her chest.

 

“That’s very reassuring to hear.’

 

Penny smiled.

 

“So, do you wanna have that conversation now?” She said. “Lay down some ground rules?”

 

“That sounds like a good idea,” Julie replied. “What did you have in mind?”

 

“Well… I don’t mind if you see someone else, as long as we have a conversation of some kind about it before things get serious. As far as Maru goes, you have my blessing. I trust you and I trust her, and I know  neither of you would do anything to hurt me.”

 

Julie felt a lump rising in her throat.

 

“I appreciate that. It means a lot to me that I have your trust. Right now, Maru and I are just sort of flirting, but she’s a sweetheart and I do enjoy spending time with her. I think if anything happens it’ll take a while, but it is a possibility.”

 

“Well, we’ll cross that bridge when we come to it.”

 

“Agreed. And hey…” Julie stopped a moment. “I really do appreciate you being so understanding.”

 

“Don’t mention it. What are partners for?”

 

Partners. The word ricocheted around in Julie’s head and brought with it a feeling of giddiness that made her feel like a lovestruck teenager.

 

“Partners. I rather like the sound of that.” Julie said.

 

Penny took her hands and gave them a squeeze.

 

“I do too.”

 

The two made their way outside into the warm summer air.

 

“May I walk you home?” Julie asked, extending her hand.

 

 

Penny smiled and took it.

 

“I’d like that very much.”

 

Their fingers linked and the two made their way out into the night, heading for Penny’s trailer. Julie’s heart was as free and easy as the breeze that blew through the trees, and she hummed a tune from far away softly as they walked. Penny listened in quiet contentment.

 

They reached the trailer after a time, and the two stood in front of the door saying their goodbyes.

 

“When can I see you next?” Penny asked. Julie thought about it a moment before responding.

 

“I can come by tomorrow evening, if you’d like. Maybe we can watch a movie?”

 

“That sounds wonderful. I can cook dinner! I’ve been meaning to try out a new recipe anyway. You can be my taste tester!”

 

Julie smiled.

 

“I can hardly wait.”

 

They exchanged another meaningful glance.

 

“Goodnight, Julie. Get home safe, okay?”

 

“Can do. Goodnight, hon.”

 

“Hon.” Penny said with a giggle. “I’m quite fond of that.”

 

Julie leaned in and kissed her gently.

 

“I’ll keep that in mind.”

 

With another sigh, Penny opened the door to her trailer and waved goodbye. Julie waved back, and waited until the door closed to begin heading for home.

 

She walked home by moonlight, her heart a-flutter and a tune on her lips.

 

The future was bright.


	20. Human Nature

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Weeks later, Julie has come to terms with her new life and prepares for a romantic evening with her girlfriend.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey y'all. If you've stuck out this story this far, you have my sincerest thanks. It's been a hell of a lot of fun to write. You fine folks keep on keeping on and may your harvests be bountiful and free of squid. (unless that's your thing) Cheers.

It was around seven in the evening, and Julie was sat around Maru’s dinner table with Maru and Robin, enjoying a hot meal of roast chicken, vegetables, and rice. Sebastian had taken his meal in his room, and Demetrius had wolfed down his portion while standing at the kitchen counter before rushing back to his lab to proceed with a time-sensitive experiment,.

 

“Thank you for having me over!” Julie said to Robin in between bites. “The food is delicious!”

 

“Of course, dear!” Robin responded. “You’re always welcome here.”

 

The thought warmed Julie’s heart. It had been several weeks now since Julie had departed the mountain house after her injured stint there. She was glad to be back under better circumstances. Maru had been especially busy with her inventions of late, so Julie had seen relatively little of her. However, they made a point to gather at least once a week at the bench where they had first met to chat and socialize. Penny would usually join them, and the three would sit and watch the sun going down as they whiled the time away. It did wonders for Julie’s heart to be near both of them as the sky caught fire.

 

“So, Julie,” Maru said. “Any plans tonight?”

 

Julie took another bite of chicken and chewed properly before answering.

 

This particular evening, Julie had plans with Penny after dinner. She had promised that she would come by the trailer in the evening so they could watch a movie together.

 

“Yup! I’m going over to Pen’s for a movie.”

 

Maru waggled her eyebrows at Julie from across the table.

 

“Oooh. Sounds like fun! Tell her hi from me, won’t you?”

 

“Of course!”

 

Time passed, and soon the food was gone. Julie rinsed her dishes in the sink. She looked out the kitchen window at the sky. It had been overcast all day, and the dark clouds in the distance foretold rain.

 

“I should probably get going soon.” Julie said, scrubbing a plate. “It looks like rain.”

 

Maru looked out the window.

 

“Oh yeah. We’ve got a storm system coming in according the weather channel. Do you want to borrow an umbrella?”

 

“Thanks, but I should be okay as long as I walk fast.”

 

“You sure? Don’t go catching a cold on me.”

 

“Yeah, my coat is pretty waterproof. Although I’m starting to wish I’d brought my hat.”

 

The two bustled about the room tidying up while Robin put the leftovers away. Soon the kitchen was immaculate, and the girls meandered their way out into the lobby to say their goodbyes.

 

“Thanks for having me over tonight!” Julie said. “It’s always nice to see you.”

 

Maru slipped her arms around Julie’s waist and pulled her into a hug.

 

“Of course! Take care on your way to Penny’s, okay?”

 

Julie nodded.

 

“Will do! You enjoy the rest of your night.”

 

“That won’t be difficult. I’m always in a good mood after you come over.”

 

Julie glanced around quickly before giving Maru a quick smooch. A smile split Maru’s face and she squeezed Julie a bit tighter. They stood there like that for a few long moments, not wanting to separate.  Eventually they parted, and Maru opened the front door for Julie.

 

“Get there safe!” She said, glancing up at the evening sky. “It looks like rain.”

 

Julie looked up to the brooding dark clouds rolling over the horizon. The light outside was beginning to fade. She would have to hurry if she didn’t want to get caught in the rain.

 

“I will.” Julie replied. “Take care, Maru. I’ll come visit again soon!”

 

Maru smirked.

 

“You better!”

 

Their eyes met. Maru leaned forward and gave Julie a quick peck.

 

“See you soon.”

 

“I certainly hope so.”

 

Julie got one last squeeze in for good measure before bidding Maru goodnight and turning for the road to town.

 

As Julie walked, the rain began to come down; first as a light mist then eventually a steady patter. Julie quickened her pace as drops of water began to spatter her coat.

 

She passed the community center and gave a customary wave to its darkened windows. It was too dim to see if anything waved back, but she always felt that it was best to stay on the friendly side of vengeful nature spirits.

 

She rounded the corner into town square with a tune on her lips. The words to the song escaped her at the moment, but she knew the melody by heart. She paused in front of the general store, kneeling under its awning to re-lace her boots. She scanned the rainy streets, an instinct left over from days past. There wasn’t a single disturbance to be found. Lights glimmered in house windows all around, their residents no doubt spending the evening in. She watched the rain fall for a moment or two, taking in the quiet serenity of a rainy night in Pelican Town.

 

It was time to move on.

 

By the time she arrived at the trailer, the rain was coming down in sheets. The windows glowed softly in the dusky evening air, advertising warmth and safety from the storm. Julie knocked three times and drew her coat around herself while she waited.

 

The trailer door swung open, and a bright-faced Penny greeted her on the other side. She was dressed in the same blouse and skirt that she had worn the first day they’d met, and her fiery hair was pinned up. She looked radiant, and for a moment Julie forgot that she was standing out in the rain.

 

“Evening, dear!” Penny exclaimed. “Come in, come in! You’ll catch a cold standing there staring.”

 

Julie grinned and wiped her feet on the mat out front before stepping inside the trailer and closing the door behind her.

 

Penny had cleaned the place up neatly, and the room smelled faintly of lemon. What was more, Julie could see assorted baking materials and measuring implements spread out across the counter. Penny saw her looking and her face lit up.

 

“I know we didn’t really have much of a plan beyond watching the movie, so I thought it would be fun to bake cookies together!”

 

She looked so enthused about the concept that it was impossible not to smile.

 

“That sounds wonderful!” Julie said. “I’m all for it.”

 

She removed her wet coat and hung it on a small hook that protruded from the wall near the door before kicking off her hunter boots. Under her coat she wore brand-new clothes of Emily’s design: a purple v-neck shirt spun from soft cloth and dark trousers with blessedly functional pockets. She had gotten them from Emily only a few days before, and had worn them tonight specifically because she had been  planning on seeing Maru and Penny.

 

Penny looked her up and down.

 

“Well don’t you look lovely! I really like the new outfit!”

 

Julie blushed.

 

“Thanks! Emily designed it for me so I wouldn’t have to keep wearing my Hunter getup everywhere.”

 

Penny laughed.

 

“It  _ is _ nice to see you without the bloodstains.”

 

Julie arranged her boots neatly underneath her coat and turned back to Penny. Their eyes met and they shared a warm embrace.

 

“Thanks for inviting me over tonight, hon.” Julie said.

 

Penny smiled.

 

“Thank you for coming! It’s always nice to see you.”

 

She turned and gestured to the materials on the counter.

 

“Shall we get started?”

 

“Sure!” Julie responded. “It’s been a while since I’ve baked cookies, so you may need to guide me through it.”

 

Penny giggled.

 

“Fine by me.”

 

Penny opened a book on the counter and flipped to the desserts section. She propped the book up against the wall and turned on the oven to let it preheat. Julie stepped up to the counter and Penny sidled up behind her, wrapping her arms around Julie’s waist and giving her a quick squeeze. Her chin rested on Julie’s right shoulder while she scanned the page.

 

“Okay, so first come the dry ingredients. We need two and a quarter cups of flour.”

 

Penny gently guided Julie’s hands toward the measuring cups. Julie picked up the appropriate cup and measured out the flour, dumping it into a large blue plastic bowl on the counter.

 

“Next, baking soda. Three quarters of a teaspoon.”

 

Julie looked down and hesitated. She could never remember the difference between a teaspoon and a tablespoon. Penny let her mull it over in her mind for a few moments before ever so slightly pointing a finger towards the spoon they needed. Julie gave her a nuzzle of appreciation.

 

“And now salt. Just a teaspoon.”

 

Julie poured the ingredients into the bowl and began mixing them together with a whisk. Soon the mixture was evenly dispersed. Penny glanced over and examined the cookbook again.

 

“Okay, now we move onto the wet ingredients. We need to take a stick of butter and combine it with brown and white sugar. I took the butter out of the fridge an hour or two ago, so it should be ready to work with.”

 

Julie rinsed the measuring cups and dried them out before measuring out the necessary amounts of sugar into another bowl. Penny carefully unwrapped the stick of butter and deposited it in the middle of the sugars, instructing Julie to start mixing.

 

Penny went to a small rectangular black box on the floor next to the counter and pulled on one of its sides until it swung open. A mini-fridge, with a surprising amount of storage space. Penny retrieved two brown eggs from within and looked at Julie.

 

“Um… Julie?”

 

“Hm?”

 

“Could I ask you to crack the eggs for me? The last time I tried I got little bits of shell in the dough.”

 

Julie took the eggs from her, suppressing a smile. She didn’t have much confidence in her own egg cracking ability, but she was willing to try, if only for Penny’s sake. She took the eggs and carefully struck them against the edge of the mixing bowl. This accomplished, Julie pulled the shell apart and added the eggs to the mixture. Then began the process of stirring it all together.

 

“Oh, there’s one more thing!” Penny said, opening the cupboard a retrieving a tiny vial of vanilla extract. It looked mostly empty, but they only required a teaspoons worth.

 

They chatted idly while Julie stirred. Penny told her all about her last several days with the children and the lessons she had been teaching them. Julie told a story about a rainbow trout that had all but yanked her fishing pole into the river when she caught it on her line.

 

“So I’m running across the grass chasing my pole and the little bastard flips out of the river just to mock me. I got my fishing rod back but the trout was off with my bait.”

 

“Fishing sounds more exciting than I would have thought!” Penny said with a laugh. “Maybe one day you can teach me how.”

 

Julie smiled.

 

“I’d love to! I’m no expert myself, but I can teach you the basics. It’s surprisingly lucrative! I’ve been making a tidy profit by pulling a couple fish a day out of the river, though I confess it’s always a bit weird when Lewis comes by to collect them in the dead of night. Some days I just sit out on my porch and watch the river going by, waiting for a bite. It’s very peaceful.”

 

“It sounds like a nice way to live.” Penny said. “Away from all the noise of the town.”

 

“It’s… Much more relaxing than my old job, I can say that much with certainty.”

 

“Have you considered using some of your land for farming? I think it would really suit you.”

 

Julie pondered this a moment.

 

“I think that sounds like a fine idea. I wouldn’t really know where to begin, though.”

 

“I have a few books that would probably help! I can lend them to you if you like!”

 

“I think I’ll take you up on that. It’s never too late to learn a new skill!”

 

“Exactly!”

 

Julianna the Hunter-turned-fisherwoman. It felt a little strange. A Hunter abandoning the Hunt to go fishing in the sunshine?  It was certainly a healthier lifestyle, but the idea that she had somehow escaped the grim fate of the Hunters seemed too good to be true. 

 

However, she couldn’t deny that a large part of her ached for a life that was simple. No more crossing between dimensions and hunting hideous beasts. No more dealing with problems by waving a sword at them. A life of peace and prosperity. She even had someone to share it with.

 

Julie let out a sigh.

 

“Julie?” Penny said. “What’s on your mind?”

 

Julie turned so she could look Penny in the eyes.

 

“You. Us. I keep thinking about how lucky I am to have made it here. How lucky I am to have you.”

 

Penny laughed

 

“You’re not the only one who can’t believe their luck, trust me. I’m so much happier with you in my life.”

 

Julie felt her facial muscles aching from smiling.

 

“It’s been a wild couple of seasons, but I think I’m ready to make a change. I don’t want to be a Hunter anymore. It’s a hellish, horrifying, harrowing life and I’ve seen where that road leads. I don’t know what I want to be instead, if I’m honest with you. What I do know is that whatever comes next, I know I want to share it with you.” 

 

Penny nestled her head into the crook of Julie’s shoulder and burrowed in a bit.

 

“You are so sweet! I could really get used to that idea.”

 

Julie set the bowl down on the counter and gave Penny a peck on the forehead. Penny giggled and looked back to the cookbook.

 

“Okay, next step: combine the batter with the flour mixture to make the dough.”

 

Julie mixed the ingredients together, stirring and stirring until the dough thickened up and the last clumps of white powder were dispersed.

 

“Okay, now for the chocolate chips!” Penny said.

 

She opened the cupboard and pulled out a bag of semisweet chocolate chips. Humming a tune to herself, Penny pulled the bag open and poured its contents into the mixing bowl.

 

By now, Julie’s arms were beginning to feel stiff. The dough had thickened considerably and it was taking a fair degree of effort to work the spoon through it. However, the process was just about complete. All there was left to do now was to parcel out the dough and start baking.

 

Penny took the bowl from Julie and began digging into it with a spoon. She soon had the large mass of dough divided up into rows of little spheres on a parchment-lined cookie sheet. Licking a bit of cookie dough off of her fingers, she offered a bit to Julie, who accepted with enthusiasm. Unhealthy as it was, she had a weakness for raw cookie dough.

 

With the cookies in the oven and the timer set, all that remained was to wait. Julie and Penny curled up on the couch and snuggled under a blanket while Penny browsed the television channels for something they could watch. They eventually settled on a somewhat cheesy science-fiction film about home appliances that became sentient and formed a hive mind. Julie was only half paying attention, but the film was enjoyable enough. Penny got up about fifteen minutes in to take the cookies out of the oven.

 

“Oh, these smell fantastic!” She said, slipping on an oven mitt and opening the oven. “Thank you so much for helping me bake!”

 

“Of course! I’m always happy to help.”

 

Penny used a spatula to move the cookies to a cooling rack on the counter before returning to the couch. Julie shifted her position and patted the spot next to her. Penny sat down and leaned her head onto Julie’s shoulder.

 

They whiled away the evening with television and fresh, warm baked goods. Julie felt peaceful, and she scarcely noticed the time go by. They sat close to one another, basking in the warmth of the each other’s presence. Penny sat more or less in Julie’s lap with a blanket wrapped around the two of them. Julie ran her fingers lightly up and down Penny’s back, tracing little patterns with her fingernails and causing Penny  to shiver and gasp every so often.

 

The movie ended and the television was soon forgotten. Penny lounged across her like a panther on a tree branch, occasionally yawning and closing her eyes for a while while Julie ran her fingertips across her skin. They said nothing, drinking in the moment and enjoying the closeness.

 

The clock marched onward, though Julie paid it no mind. It was getting late, and Julie could feel her eyelids beginning to droop, but she didn’t want to leave. She held Penny close and said a silent prayer, thanking her goddess for the little moments that made life worth living. 

 

Penny fell asleep on her. Julie sat there for quite some time, listening to the steady sound of her girlfriend’s breathing and idly watching the late-night programming that had taken the film’s place. She had no idea what was going on, but it appeared to be a show about cooking.

 

The static hiss of the television blended with the steady hammering of the rain on the metal roof of the trailer. The sound was all around, and it threatened to lull Julie to sleep. One of her arms was trapped under Penny and several of her limbs had fallen asleep, but Julie was  still comfortable enough that she didn’t mind. She sat there for what must have been a solid hour, listening to the storm outside and reflecting on her luck. She rubbed Penny’s back gently and let out a yawn. She could stay like this forever. 

 

Eventually, when she felt as though she could stay awake no longer, she shook her head  to clear it and slowly sat up so as to get some feeling back into her arms. When she had recovered from the pins-and-needles sensation and had regained control of her limbs, she worked her arms under Penny’s arms and legs. She ever so gently lifted Penny off of the couch and carried her across the room to her bedroom.

 

She had trouble with the door. It was a round knob, so trying to turn the thing with her hip proved ineffectual. She didn’t want to wake Penny, so she very slowly and very carefully balanced herself on one foot and peeled off one of her socks. This accomplished, she raised her foot again and carefully turner the knob by gripping it with her toes. Dextrous feet saved the day again.

 

Penny’s room was dark, and Julie almost walked right into a bookcase before she realized it was in front of her. She edged her way around the corner, using her foot as a sounding device until she found the bed tucked away in the back of the room.

 

The room itself was cramped, but it still felt homey. The space was decorated with several dark shapes that Julie could barely make out to be a chair and a desk. She carefully shuffled past a small table with a potted plant found herself at the head of the bed.

 

Julie gently laid Penny down on the bed, placing her head delicately on the pillow. She stirred a bit as Julie draped a blanket over her. Julie bent down and pressed a kiss to her cheek, tucking in the blanket as she did so. Then she stretched, yawned again, and turned to leave. She had a long road home. 

 

She got most of the way across the room when she heard Penny’s voice.

 

“Julie?”

 

Julie stopped and turned around. Penny was sitting up in bed and rubbing her eyes.

 

“I’m here, sweetheart.” Julie said softly.

 

There was a pause before Penny spoke again.

 

“Would you like to stay the night?”

 

The question caught her somewhat off guard, but it sounded like an awfully tempting offer. Julie looked from the rain spattering the window to the hopeful look on Penny’s face, barely visible in the dim light coming from the doorway.

 

How could she say no?

 

“That sounds wonderful. I’d love to. But you’re going to need to scoot over.”

 

Penny laughed and stretched her arms over her head.

 

“Sure thing. Would you mind getting the light in the living room?”

 

“Not at all. I’ll be right back.”

 

Julie walked back out into the living room and looked around. She grabbed the remote and turned off the television before looking around for the switch and flipping off the lights.

 

She navigated her way back to Penny’s bedroom in the dark, her eyes slowly adjusting to the low light. She closed the bedroom door behind her. 

 

When she got to the bed, she found Penny unbuttoning her blouse. Her skirt lay on the floor beside the bed, and her blouse and bra soon joined it. Julie tried (and failed) not to stare as she wiggled out of her  trousers and deposited them in a neat little pile on the floor.

 

“I hope I didn’t wake you up.” Julie said, hopping on one foot trying to get the other free. “You looked so peaceful.”

 

“No, no, I’m awake.” Penny insisted, rubbing her eyes and stifling a yawn. “I slept for a little while earlier, I’m feeling less sleepy now. Now come here, won’t you? It’s cold.”

 

At last free of the trappings of pants, Julie climbed onto the bed. The bed frame creaked a bit as she did so, but the mattress supported her weight. Penny pulled the blanket up to their waists and bundled part of it over Julie’s shoulders to keep her warm.

 

“There! Cozy?” Penny asked.

 

Julie laid her head on Penny’s shoulder and closed her eyes for a moment.

 

“Mm-hm.” She said in contentment. “Thank you for having me over.”

 

“Of course! I just couldn’t stand the thought of you having to walk all the way home in the dark and the rain.” Penny said. “And it’s so much nicer to have you here.”

 

Julie ran her nails gently up and down Penny’s back. Penny let out a small moan.

 

“I agree.” Julie said softly. “It’s wonderful to be this close to you.”

 

She felt one of Penny’s arms wrap around her as the other gently guided Julie’s face towards hers. Penny pulled her into a kiss, starting slow and passionate and gradually building in intensity. Penny’s arms wrapped around Julie’s neck and Julie’s hands wandered across Penny’s back with abandon.

 

Julie pulled back for a moment and pulled her shirt over her head. She felt Penny’s hands unhook the clasp of her bra and she let it fall away, tumbling to the floor. She hesitated for just a moment, looking Penny in the eyes and briefly covering her breasts with her free arm.

 

She was grateful for the dark, as it hid some of her more prominent scars.

 

“Um…” Julie began. “I haven’t really shown anybody my body in a long time. If the scars bother you-”

 

Penny gently pressed a finger to her lips and shook her head.

 

“Babe, they don’t bother me at all. You’ve had an incredibly long journey, and it’s left a few marks on your body. So what?. They’re a part of you and love them just like I love the rest of you.”

 

Julie smiled, tears coming to her eyes.

 

“You are… Such a sweetheart. That means the world to me to hear. And I…”

 

She gulped, scared to say the words out loud. She took a breath and looked into Penny’s eyes. All fear melted away.

 

“I love you too.”

 

She could see Penny smiling even in the dark. A single tear rolled its way down her cheek.

 

They embraced, holding each other close and basking in the moment. Julie buried her face in Penny’s shoulder, sniffling back tears and smiling like a fool. She tuned into the rhythm of the rain as it pounded on  the roof above. It was a soothing sound.

 

When they parted again, the two locked eyes and something passed between them. Julie saw Penny’s gaze flicker down and back up again once, twice. She was having a difficult time not staring herself. Penny’s pale skin stood out in the darkness, stealing Julie’s gaze and taking her mind to a great many places.

 

“You are… so fucking gorgeous. Do you know that?” 

 

Julie said, dearly wishing she had better words to express her feelings. Penny placed a hand over her mouth and let out a soft giggle.

 

“How funny, I was just thinking the same thing about you.”  Penny whispered. Her eyes looked Julie up and down, drinking in the sight. Julie felt her face going red.

 

She felt Penny’s hands slide across her waist, gradually working their way upward. Her hands were pleasantly cool from having been outside the blanket. Her grip was firm but gentle. Julie let out a small gasp.

 

“Is this okay?” Penny whispered.

 

“Absolutely!” Julie responded, scarcely able to breath. “Is it okay with you?”

 

Penny nodded and kissed her again.

 

“Absolutely. Though I’ll admit, I’ve never done anything like this before. You may have to guide me through it.”

 

Julie let out a small laugh.

 

“That, I can do.”

 

Julie let her hands wander freely, accepting gentle guidance from Penny as the two lovers embraced. Outside, the storm raged and beat against the trailer walls, the wind howling like a choir of ghosts. It was of no consequence to Julie and Penny. Penny pulled the blanket around them so they wouldn’t get cold, wrapping Julie up in the soft cloth and pulling her closer to her body.

 

Things began slow and tender, Julie planting kisses everywhere she could reach and letting her teeth lightly graze the skin of Penny’s neck. Penny began to shiver despite the warmth of the blanket.

 

Julie felt Penny’s fingers running through her hair, and they occasionally tightened their grip ever so slightly whenever Penny would shudder and make a little involuntary noise. Julie gave her neck a quick crack before beginning to work her way downward.

 

As the storm raged outside, Penny and Julie remained blissfully unaware of everything but each other. Somewhere in the living room, a clock struck midnight. Julie only vaguely took note of it. She was preoccupied.

 

Julie hadn’t done anything like this in a very long time. She felt a bit rusty, and if she was honest, she could hardly believe it was happening. To have found someone she trusted enough seemed a small miracle  given the circumstances that had surrounded her life the last few years. She held Penny in firm hands and lost herself to the heat of the moment. It would continue on like this for quite some time, the hours of the night winding down as the two young hearts beat together. 

 

She felt her pulse quicken with every noise Penny made. Occasionally Penny would gasp out directions, and Julie took to them with gusto. Somewhere along the line they wound up the opposite side of the bed, but they scarcely took notice. Julie threw out every little trick she’d ever learned, eager to please and feeling a rush of endorphins whenever she felt or heard Penny react. Penny had more or less stopped speaking, instead biting down on one of her knuckles and whimpering softly. 

 

“I... “ She tried to speak. Her voice came out breathless and desperate. “I think-”

 

With a flourish of her tongue, Julie cut off Penny’s statement. Penny let out a noise somewhere between a moan and a wheeze. Another flourish. Julie felt Penny’s muscles tense to iron as her legs wrapped around Julie like a boa constrictor. Penny gasped out Julie’s name. 

 

Thunder boomed outside.

 

Julie could scarcely breathe, but she kept at it until Penny’s iron grip was reduced to trembling and twitching. 

 

Somewhere around one or two in the morning, drained and exhausted but positively glowing, the two finally split apart. They lay there, cuddling up close to one another and basking in the afterglow. Julie pressed several delicate kisses to Penny’s lips in between gulps of air. The blanket was drawn around them, cocooning them in warmth and a sense of security. Julie ran her fingers through Penny’s hair as they lay in close proximity. Penny’s hands gently caressed Julie’s body, still shaking.

 

The two were silent, neither needing to speak. They lay there beside each other, eyes closed, breathing in time to a song they couldn’t hear.

 

It took a long time for Penny’s breathing to slow, but she eventually drifted off to sleep, curled up against Julie and a dreamy smile across her face. Julie laid there in silence for a long time, watching her girlfriend sleep.

 

How had she wound up here? How had her road possibly lead her somewhere so beautiful? She closed her eyes and pulled Penny closer. She would never understand the way the universe worked, and perhaps it was better that way. She didn’t need a grand cosmic truth. She was alive and in love, and this was all the truth she needed.

 

Julie let the drumbeat of the rain lull her to sleep. Her last thoughts before drifting off were of Penny.

 

She found herself on her porch, sitting in a rocking chair. It creaked as she rocked back and forth, her eyes fixed on her fishing line. With a splash, the line got a bite, and Julie began reeling in with zeal. The fish leapt out of the river, multi-colored scales flashing in the sun.

 

A door opened behind her. She heard Penny’s voice.

 

“Trying to catch that fish again?”

 

Julie’s gaze remained focused on her line, but she responded cheerfully.

“One of these days!” She exclaimed. “Little bastard’s evaded me for thirty years! But I’ve got it now!”

 

Penny laughed.

 

“Well, I made breakfast! Hash browns and bacon! Here, I’ll set them on the table.”

 

Penny leaned down and set a steaming plate next to Julie. Julie turned her head to say thank you.

 

Penny’s face was lined with age, though she couldn’t have been past fifty. Her fiery red hair was as brilliant as ever, and her eyes gleamed with the same spark of light and intelligence. She was dressed in a  yellow and red summer dress, the folds billowing out in the breeze. She looked so radiant in the sunlight that Julie forgot about the fish entirely. Her fishing rod flew out of her hands and skidded across the grass before disappearing into the river.

 

Julie stood up on tired bones, her knees aching a bit in protest.

 

“Thank you, love. It smells delicious!”

 

She kissed Penny, dipping her slightly as she did so. Penny let out a laugh and wrapped her arms around Julie’s neck for support.

 

All around them, fall was beginning to set in. The trees were beautiful patchworks of green, orange, and yellow, caught halfway between the seasons. The air was still warm, but the wind carried wayward leaves through the air like flirtatious vagabonds.

 

“Mar out?” Penny asked. 

 

Julie nodded.

 

“Yup. Went this morning to go see her parents. She’ll be back for dinner.”

 

“Great! I’ll make enough for three.”

 

“What’s on the menu tonight?” Julie asked.

 

Penny smiled at her.

 

“My specialty! Chili de Julie! Speaking of, don’t forget to harvest the peppers today! Fall’s almost here and the plant will be out of season soon.”

 

Julie turned and looked out over her land.

 

Beyond a cobblestone fence was a neat square garden full of pepper plants. The hot peppers were as red as the leaves on the trees, and ready for picking.

 

The scene made Julie’s heart ache. Could this future really be? She looked around at her house, now two stories and decorated with clinging ivy. She looked at Penny, beautiful even thirty years on. She opened her mouth to speak, and promptly woke from her sleep.

 

She sat up suddenly in bed, coming awake with a start as a boom of thunder roared from above. It took her a minute to adjust to her unfamiliar surroundings, but the sleeping mound of blankets beside her reassured her. She was at Penny’s. She was safe.

 

Julie laid her head back down on the pillow gently, not wanting to wake Penny. Julie adjusted her weight for comfort and wrapped an arm around Penny’s waist, scooting as close as she could.

 

The room was freezing outside the warm enclosure of the blanket, which Julie found out the moment her feet slipped out from underneath. Penny had pulled it towards herself in her sleep, and Julie couldn’t fit all of her limbs underneath it without curling into the fetal position. Instead, she gingerly lid her arm underneath the pillow, feeling the weight of Penny’s head resting lightly against her hand. She laid her head  down, resting her forehead against the back of Penny’s head.

 

She had no idea what time it was. The rain had continued into the morning, and in this early hour the sunlight was barely strong enough to outline the furniture. Julie closed her eyes and tried to focus on falling back asleep.

 

Julie heard a groan from the next room. Pam was home. Julie felt an irrational jolt of fear leftover from her high school days run through her. Pam had no idea Julie was here, and Julie wasn’t sure how well she’d react to finding her in Penny’s room. Julie had seen startlingly little of Pam, despite Julie being in a relationship with her daughter. Pam spent most of her days (and nights) at the Saloon, so most nights Julie would see neither hide nor hair of her the entirety of her time at Penny’s.

 

Julie let out a muffled groan as she attempted to stretch without disturbing Penny. She had at last regained full range of motion, and it was nice to be able to sleep on her side again. Her back gave a series of pops and cracks, and she felt the tension in her spine reduce.

 

Perhaps if she just went back to sleep and stayed asleep long enough, she could evade Pam altogether and scarper when the time was right. Or, she could just as easily hang around and simply say she’d shown up later that day if any questions were asked. She yawned. Yes, that sounded like a good idea. She didn’t want to leave. Especially not with the rain still coming down as hard as it was.

 

Penny mumbled something in her sleep and pressed herself against Julie for warmth. Julie accepted the extra skin contact gratefully, pulling her love closer. She could wait like this as long as necessary. It was a good place to be.

 

Over the course of the next two hours, Julie drifted in and out of consciousness, cuddling Penny the entire time. Every so often she would hear sounds from the living room as Pam went about doing whatever it was that Pam did in the mornings.

 

Eventually, Julie heard the front door open. The sound of the rain got temporarily louder.

 

“Pen!” Pam called into the trailer. “Goin’ out for errands. Be back later.”

 

“Yuh-huh.” Penny mumbled, not really waking up enough to answer with anything else. She yawned.

 

“See you later.” Pam called. “Be good, keep an eye on the place while I’m out.”

 

There was a long pause.

 

“That goes for you as well, kid.”

 

It was then that Julie remembered her boots and coat were still in the living room.

 

Caught somewhere between laughter and morbid embarrassment, Julie opted not to respond. She heard the front door shut.

 

They lay there in silence for a minute or two.

 

“I’d say that went well.” Penny mumbled, sleep still filling her voice. “I think she approves of you.”

 

Julie laughed and squeezed her gently.

 

“I hope so. I plan to stick around for a while if that’s alright with you.” She gestured vaguely to the roof, still being hammered with rain. “Y’know. Wait out the storm. I’ll make breakfast!”

 

“That’s absolutely fine by me,” Penny said, wiggling happily in Julie’s arms. “Wouldn’t want you to get all wet.”

 

“You did that on purpose.”

 

Penny laughed out loud.

 

“Maybe I did.”

 

She rolled over and fixed Julie with a bleary-eyed smile. She rubbed her eyes and leaned in to give Julie a kiss.

 

“Good morning, my love.”

 

The words melted Julie’s heart. She knew in that moment that she wanted to spend as many mornings as she could just like this.

 

“Good morning,  _ kochanie _ .”

 

Penny cuddled closer to Julie.

 

“I love it when you call me that.”

 

Julie had taken to calling Penny by the term of endearment, some of the only language of her homeland she understood. Her Polish was incredibly rusty, but she could remember the terms for 'goodnight', 'good morning', and 'I love you' so she figured she would be okay.  

 

Julie would get up to start cooking in a little while. For right now, she was content to lay here and talk to Penny as she gradually woke up.

 

If this was to be her life, she accepted it. All things considered, she had done okay.

 

She could get used to this.


End file.
